


Rewrite the Stars

by xlightless



Category: B.A.P
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Class Differences, M/M, Modern Royalty, Outer Space
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-03-02 03:29:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 33,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13309497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xlightless/pseuds/xlightless
Summary: Daehyun is an unknowing chess piece in a coup d’etat. Yongguk is the military commander playing the game. Neither of them expected to get as close as they did.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a “what if I wrote a forbidden love au” based on Rewrite the Stars from The Greatest Showman and then it snowballed into this. I haven't even seen The Greatest Showman yet.

Routines make up Daehyun’s life. From studying foreign policies to maintaining a suitable public image, they give his life structure from sun up to sundown. Not many things disrupt these routines. It takes quite a lot to put a wrench in a schedule that’s been ingrained in his mind for years.

For example, _quite a lot_ could mean an arranged marriage.

Daehyun stands in front of his father’s desk, arms crossed above his chest. He tries to fight the look of disgust that wants to form on his face.

“Father, I had no idea we were still in the _Joseon era_ ,” Daehyun says with a smile. His voice drips with sarcasm, and he knows he’s being disrespectful, but an _arranged marriage_ is something he thought he’d never have to go through in his lifetime. “I would have dressed appropriately.”

“ _Behave,_ Daehyun,” his father warns, narrowing his eyes. “You should have expected this much. As one of my children, your union is meant to solidify our alliance with other planets.”

Daehyun doesn’t like the feeling of being sold off to another nation, but he’ll do what he has to for the people. Soon to be _his_ people. “Of course, father. My apologies.”

Daehyun’s father smiles. The intercom on his desk buzzes on, and his secretary says, “Sir, Yoo Jaesuk is here.”

Daehyun’s mouth drops open as his father stands up from his desk. Yoo Jaesuk’s family are direct descendants of the first pioneers who found and subsequently inhabited Tellus 2, or the “second Earth” as it was first nicknamed. “The _Yoo’s_? Of Tellus 2? How did you manage to form an alliance with the _Yoo’s_? Don’t they have an isolationism policy?”

“I’ll be out in a minute,” Daehyun’s father says into the intercom before rounding the desk. He places a hand on Daehyun’s shoulder. “He approached me first. He’s interested in forming a star exploration alliance with us.”

_So you decided to marry me off for this_ , Daehyun thinks. His father wraps an arm around his shoulders and leads him out of the office.

“Now, I know what you’re thinking. ‘Is that it?’ It’s not. Yoo Jaesuk has an impressive military corps that I plan to utilize.”

Daehyun hums to show he’s still listening, letting his father lead him through the halls to one of the smaller common rooms. Three men stand in the room, bowing as soon as they step through the doorway. Daehyun and his father bow back in greeting. 

Daehyun has seen Yoo Jaesuk and Yoo Youngjae in plenty of pictures before, so he knows what they look like, but the third man standing behind them with his hands clasped in front of him is a mystery. Military, judging by his uniform. Commanding officer, judging by the badges on his lapels. His eyes are cold and calculating, dark obsidian piercing right through Daehyun. 

He's struck with an immense curiosity.

“Thank you for meeting with us,” Yoo Jaesuk says, holding his hand out towards Daehyun’s father.

“The honor is all mine,” Daehyun’s father replies, taking Jaesuk’s hand. He nudges Daehyun shortly after.

Daehyun smiles and holds out his own hand. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

Jaesuk shakes Daehyun’s hand. Youngjae follows shortly after. There’s a notable arrogance in the way Youngjae holds himself, contrasting his softer features, like he’s compensating for those same features. 

Daehyun’s father leans towards Jaesuk, mock-whispering, “You didn’t have to bring the extra artillery. I promise you’re safe here.”

Jaesuk laughs. Youngjae looks one snide remark away from rolling his eyes. The military officer looks unimpressed. 

“There is no such thing as being too careful, Jihoon,” Jaesuk says with a smile that doesn’t seem to reach his eyes. “Bang Yongguk is an esteemed military commander I’ve assigned to watch over us in the time that we are here. There is no one I trust more outside of my family.”

“Ah, I see. A wonderful asset.” Daehyun’s father nods, laughing to ease some of the tension, but it’s awkward at best. For a national leader and interplanetary diplomat, Daehyun thought his father would have a little more social empathy. 

As Jaesuk and Daehyun’s father begin discussing more technical conditions of the marriage, Youngjae turns to Daehyun. He opens his mouth, getting ready to say something, then as if he decides against it, closes his mouth. He repeats the motion again, getting nowhere each time. Daehyun blinks, not sure whether he should wait for Youngjae to say something, or just initiate the conversation himself.

“Just say whatever you have to,” Yongguk suddenly says, his voice deep and velvet sliding out of his throat like smoke in an expensive pipe or ancient Earth wine that’s been uncovered from the depths of that godforsaken planet. 

Daehyun is a little thrown by Yongguk, to say the least.

Youngjae huffs, but he eventually speaks. “I hope this marriage works out between us.”

It doesn't seem to be what Youngjae originally wanted to say, but Daehyun smiles anyway. “I hope so too.” He leans a little closer to Youngjae, and whispers, “Seems our fathers are excited about the alliance. We’ll be the pioneers of distant star exploration.”

Yongguk’s face is carefully neutral, devoid of all emotion, but for an instant, something vicious flickers across his features. His nose begins to wrinkle in disgust, but he covers it up with a hand as he scratches the tip of his nose, like he’s smoothing the emotion out of his face.

Youngjae nods, humming agreeably. “I’ve never been to other planets before. It’ll be an enlightening experience.”

Given Tellus 2’s self-enacted isolationism, it shouldn’t be a surprise, but Daehyun’s eyebrows still raise. He’s been to three other planets already to accompany his father on diplomatic meetings, but he can’t even imagine staying on his home planet his whole life when he has the entire universe at his fingertips. 

“Oh, Daehyun, why don’t you show Youngjae around? Not too far, just downtown.” Daehyun’s father quips, then turns to Jaesuk, and adds, “If that’s alright with you?”

Jaesuk nods, looking at Yongguk. “Go with them. I’ll be fine here.”

“Yes, sir,” Yongguk says.

If Daehyun looks closely, he can see an almost imperceptible sparkle that ignites in Youngjae’s eyes.

“Alright, well, let’s go walk around downtown,” Daehyun says, nodding to the exit for Youngjae and Yongguk to follow behind him.

The second they step past the palace gates, Youngjae seems to shed his arrogant persona and lets out a deep sigh. He lowers his shoulders, the tension that had been stringing him tight unfurling and releasing into the pavement beneath his feet. Daehyun is reeling because he feels like he’s meeting a whole new person.

“Oh my _Zeus_ , my father will be the death of me,” Youngjae sighs. He glances at Daehyun in his peripherals, then bends a little forward as he laughs. “Sorry, should I have kept up the act?”

Daehyun can only blink because he’s still trying to process this change. “Uh, no. No, it’s fine. So, uh, I’ll show you around the square. The market should still be going on right now.”

Their walk to the square is silent, but Youngjae seems to occupy himself with a tablet he pulled from his jacket pocket. He looks up for a moment, curious eyes surveying the surrounding buildings, and then types something into his tablet. Yongguk follows behind them, nearly silent if not for his footsteps. Daehyun doesn’t want to be judgmental, but he’s pretty sure Yongguk makes the whole trip a little more awkward than it should be.

When they reach the square, the market is packed. Stalls line the streets, the vendors inside selling everything from food to android parts. Youngjae walks a little ahead of Daehyun and Yongguk, his head turning in every direction just trying to take everything in. There’s an almost childlike charm to his curiosity as he darts back and forth from one stall to the next, never staying too long at one place.

“Good morning!” an elderly woman greets Daehyun from her stall, a smile etched into her wrinkles like it’s been carved there.

Daehyun waves at her. “Mornin’!”

Several other people greet Daehyun as he walks past. Yongguk eventually taps Daehyun’s shoulder before anyone else can greet him.

“Do your people always treat you so informally?” Yongguk asks, tilting his head.

And Daehyun takes a moment because this is the first time Yongguk has addressed him directly.

“Oh… Um, yeah. Something about being one with your citizens. Treat them as your equal and they’re more likely to obey you, I guess?” Daehyun shrugs, picking up a plastic bag full of fruit. He hands a coin to the vendor, who smiles in response. “At least, that’s what my dad says. I just don’t like being treated like royalty. Too stuffy, you know?”

Yongguk hums, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Daehyun glances at him in the corner of his eye. He digs into the bag and pulls out a pear, holding it out to Yongguk.

“This is the closest we were able to get to replicating any sort of Earth fruit. Not the same, I’m sure, but probably pretty close,” Daehyun says.

Yongguk takes the pear in his hand, a small smile forming on his lips, and Daehyun smiles back. “A pear, huh? Never had one before.”

Youngjae turns back to look at Daehyun and Yongguk, waving them over to the stall he’s stopped at. They begin to walk to him, but a group of boys push past him, nearly knocking him over, to run up to Daehyun. They surround him in a loose circle, trying to be louder than each other. Yongguk stands next to Youngjae, and they stare at the scene, shocked into a momentary silence as the kids’ shouts grow louder.

“Hyung, we have to show you something!” one of them exclaims, tugging on the hem of Daehyun’s shirt.

“Alright, alright, calm down,” Daehyun says, squatting to reach their eye level. When they manage to quiet down, they’re still bouncing in place, unable to fully contain their excitement. He can’t keep the smile off his face. “First, I need you guys to apologize to the young man in front of me because he’s a special guest from Tellus 2, okay?”

Youngjae quickly waves his hands, clearly embarrassed, as the kids begin bowing and spewing out apologies to him. “Daehyun, wait, they’re kids, it’s fine, there’s no need––“

Daehyun looks up at Youngjae and frowns. “You’re my guest here, I can’t have you being pushed around. Also, I gotta teach them some manners, you know? Be a good role model. That kind of stuff.” He looks back to the kids, the smile back on his face. “Second, what did you want to show me?”

The tallest, and probably the leader, begins walking towards the edge of the square. Daehyun looks back at Youngjae and Yongguk, signaling for them to follow. The boys begin talking in hushed whispers as they enter one of the many side streets, but their voices collectively still echo against the narrow walls. Daehyun knows something is wrong the instant he sees a blue glow reflecting off the walls, pulsing like a heartbeat.  They lead him around a corner, and his stomach lurches. A baby tuin lays on the ground, its serpentine body curled tightly around itself. Its scales glow a pale blue that pulses slowly, growing fainter with each passing second. Daehyun makes his way in front of the kids and crouches in front of the tuin. It stares at him with narrowed eyes from behind its tail. He realizes its legs haven't even fully grown out yet, and his breath hitches at the realization at how young this creature really is.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Daehyun whispers. He turns to the kids and holds a finger to his lips to quiet them. They fall silent, and the tuin’s head pokes out from behind its tail, large violet eyes staring right into his soul. “I know you’re scared, but you can trust me.”

Daehyun slowly moves his hand towards the tuin, his palm up. Its head lifts a little further, and it bares its iridescent fangs, its scales beginning to bristle. A defensive move, but Daehyun doesn’t sway.

“You have nothing to fear. It’s okay,” Daehyun says again, his voice going softer as he inches closer.

The tuin suddenly darts into the air. It wraps around Daehyun’s wrist, the sharp scales digging into his skin. Before he knows it, the fangs are buried deep into his index finger. He winces when the pain finally sets in. The kids begin screaming, and he rushes to quiet them again. He grits his teeth as the tuin wraps tighter around his wrist, the fangs digging deeper. Thin rivulets of blood begin running down his hand. 

“You’re safe here,” Daehyun says. He takes deep breaths to distract himself from the pulsing in his wrist, radiating down to his fingertips. "You can trust me, alright?"

The tuin eventually lets go of Daehyun’s finger, its scales retracting and loosening around his wrist. He winces again as the blood drips out a little thicker. The tuin wraps itself around Daehyun’s wrist again, but its scales aren’t sharp anymore, and it almost looks like it’s trying to stop the bleeding.

“See? You don’t have to be scared anymore,” Daehyun says with a smile as he slowly stands up. The tuin blinks slowly in response. The kids begin crowding around him, trying to get a better look at the tuin, but it bares its fangs again. He holds his arm above their heads in case it decides to attack them. “Wait, wait, hold on, guys, I think it’s still a little scared. Just give it some space, alright?”

The kids are immediately shushing each other. They take a step back, but their excitement and curiosity are palpable in the air. 

“What is that?” Youngjae suddenly asks, and Daehyun jumps. He completely forgot that Youngjae and Yongguk were still there.

“A tuin. It’s a type of cosmic dragon that’s native to this solar system. I’m not sure how it got through the atmosphere undetected, though.” Youngjae and Yongguk share a look, but Daehyun’s attention is already back on the kids. “Thank you for telling me about the tuin. I’ll have to give it to an expert to get it back home.”

“Wait, we’re not gonna keep it?” one of the boys whines with a pout. 

“Yeah, we’ll make it the palace mascot!” another one exclaims. 

Daehuyn is already beginning to walk out of the alleyway, and everyone follows him. “We have to get the tuin back to its family. Can you imagine being lost in a new place? All alone?”

“That sounds bad,” one replies at Daehyun’s side. “We should get him back to his family!”

“Good idea,” Daehyun agrees with a smile. They reach a main street, and he adds, “I’ll take care of the tuin from here. You guys should head back to the square.”

The kids wave their goodbyes and run off back to the square. 

“Sorry to cut the tour short. I really should get this to someone,” Daehyun says to Youngjae and Yongguk as he pets the tuin’s head, and it chirps agreeably.

“Oh my god, it’s adorable,” Youngjae whispers. He holds a hand out to the tuin, but it snaps at him. Yongguk has a hand on Youngjae’s shoulder to pull him back. “Oh, okay. Sorry for trying to become your friend.”

Daehyun laughs. “Legends say that the first tuin of this solar system gave its body to form this planet. Real tuin are temperamental creatures, I think. Even the babies can get pretty violent sometimes.”

Youngjae gulps, pocketing his hands. He glances at Yongguk, who nods imperceptibly. “Daehyun, I have to tell you something.”

Daehyun turns his head to look at Youngjae. “Yeah?”

“When we entered your solar system, we came across a group of tuin, and we… They started attacking us,” Youngjae whispers, looking at the ground.

Daehyun furrows his eyebrows.“Oh, that’s horrible, I’m sorry you––”

“That’s not what I’m getting at… Our ship would have sustained massive damage if we didn’t––“ Youngjae runs his hands through his hair, his eyes darting everywhere except to look into Daehyun’s own. And Daehyun feels anger explode inside of him like a firecracker, bursting to the surface. Youngjae is guilty, and there’s only one reason for that. 

Daehyun clenches his free hand into a fist, and the tuin wrapped around his other wrist twitches, looking at him. He fights to keep his voice calm as he speaks. “Tell me what happened.”

“We had to defend ourselves, Daehyun… We had no other choice. It… That baby must have attached itself to our ship, and that’s probably how it got here in the first place… Daehyun, I’m so sorry,” Youngjae stutters out. He bends at the waist in a deep bow. “On behalf of Tellus 2––“

Daehyun knows that as a representative of his nation, his _planet_ , he shouldn’t let his emotions get the best of him, but seeing this baby tuin and realizing that it no longer has a family to go back to makes him go against everything he’s been taught. 

“You come across these massive creatures, and your first instinct is not to run away, but to _attack_?” Daehyun asks. He lowers his arm as if to protect the tuin. He feels it rub its tiny head against the inside of his palm as if it’s trying to soothe him. 

“Our–– Our ship wasn’t designed for speed! We wouldn’t have been able to escape because… Because…” Youngjae gulps, taking a deep breath. He straightens and finally looks into Daehyun’s eyes, regret obvious in the way his shoulders slump. “Our ships are equipped with offensive firepower instead.”

Daehyun’s father’s words come echoing back in his mind. 

_Yoo Jaesuk has an impressive military corps that I plan to utilize._

Red floods Daehyun’s vision, and his heartbeat is all he can hear. His vision clears just enough for him to see Yongguk in front of him. Yongguk isn’t much taller than Daehyun, but he turns those couple inches into several feet with his arms crossed above his chest and a set jaw.

“I understand your anger, but as the prince’s guardian, I cannot allow you come any closer if you intend to do him any harm,” Yongguk says, his glare enough to send a chill running down Daehyun’s spine.

Daehyun feels like he’s come up from underwater for the first time in hours, and he takes a deep breath. He steps back, his pulse still racing and pounding in his ears. He turns around to head back to the palace. “Just because I have to marry you doesn’t mean I have to forgive you for this.”


	2. Chapter 2

Daehyun knows he doesn’t belong to himself anymore. He never did. The minute he was brought into the world, he wasn’t his own person, just another member of a line of leaders. Everything he does is for his people. People he belongs to just as much as they belong to him. He knows better than to jeopardize an alliance––with a monarchy from _Tellus 2_ , of all planets––simply because he doesn’t like the other party. He’s been groomed for years to become the perfect prince and a role model for future generations. 

Selfish decisions that benefit no one but himself are immoral.

As Daehyun’s attendant, Himchan has been there for all of Daehyun’s lessons, learning alongside him as much as he’d been teaching. He’s the only person who knows Daehyun so fully, the only one Daehyun can really trust.

Himchan walks into Daehyun’s study, and he immediately frowns when he sees Daehyun’s arm cradled against his body. His eyes fall on the tuin still wrapped around Daehyun’s wrist, and raises an eyebrow as he closes the door behind him.

“Since when did the apothecary make bandages in the shape of a tuin? What kind of trouble did you get yourself into this time? Weren’t you _just_ downtown with Yoo Youngjae?” Himchan asks. He comes closer, and the tuin moves its head to get a better look at him, and he jumps, his eyes widening. “That’s…not a bandage…”

“No, it’s not,” Daehyun replies, uncurling the tuin from his wrist. It chirps at him as he places it on his desk. It curls up into a tight ball, licking the blood off its scales.

“Where did you find a _baby tuin_?” Himchan whispers, leaning forward to look closer at it, but it hisses at him.

Daehyun examines the cuts on his forearm and finger. He’s lucky they’re not too deep. A little ointment, and he’ll be fine. “Careful, this one doesn’t like strangers very much.”

“It’s a _tuin._ Of course it’s…” Himchan straightens up and turns back to Daehyun, his frown deepening when he sees the red marks on Daehyun’s arm. “You just _had_ to go and tame the thing, didn’t you? With all due respect, let me remind you about the _last_ time––“

“This _isn’t_ like last time, hyung,” Daehyun insists. He walks to the shelves lined against the wall and grabs a medic kit. “These kids led us to the tuin, and I couldn’t just _leave_ it, you know that.”

Himchan takes the medic kit from Daehyun’s hands with a sigh, and begins cleaning Daehyun’s cuts. “I don’t see the problem here. Just give it to a tuin specialist and they’ll return it to its pack.”

“That’s the–– Ow, _hyung_ , that _stings_ ,” Daehyun whines, leaning against the edge of his desk. He fights the urge to jerk his hand away from the cotton ball soaked in alcohol. Himchan lowers the forceps to his side as he looks at Daehyun from under his lashes, clearly unimpressed at the reaction, but Daehyun sniffs dramatically. He glances at the tuin, trying to ignore the twisting in the bottom of his stomach. “The tuin has no pack to go back to.”

“What do you mean? How did it even break through the atmosphere _completely_ unnoticed in the first place?” Himchan asks, going back to cleaning the cuts.

“The Yoo’s ship. They attacked a pack claiming it was in self-defense. The baby must have hitched a ride on their ship,” Daehyun replies, not even bothering to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

Himchan stops moving for a moment so short that if Daehyun wasn’t paying attention, he would have missed it. “I see.”

“I don’t know what to do about it,” Daehyun sighs, propping a hand behind him to support his weight. He lets his head drop behind his shoulders as he groans. “Hyung, it’s gonna _die_ if we don’t get it back into space, but it’ll die without a pack. What are we gonna do?”

Himchan throws away the cotton ball, and begins rubbing ointment into the cuts. “ _You_ should still take it to a specialist. They’ll know what to do with it. They can probably find a new pack for it.”

Daehyun shakes his head. “It already has the mark of its pack. No other pack would accept it now. And if I hand it over to a specialist…I’ll have to tell them about the Yoo’s.” Daehyun hates that he has to protect them, but this is for his father. He’s protecting an alliance that will benefit the nation in the long run.

“Okay, but you didn’t sound too happy with them two minutes ago,” Himchan replies. He grabs the gauze and wraps Daehyun’s wrist. “Tell your father about the tuin, and maybe he’ll reconsider the alliance.”

“No, the potential benefits of the alliance far outweigh this. If I tell my father, we both know that he’ll agree with me. Simple cost-benefit analysis. There are millions of tuin packs in our solar system alone.” He scrunches his eyebrows and lowers his voice in a mock imitation of his father. “‘What’s one pack compared to the millions out there, Daehyun? Be rational about this.’”

Himchan is silent as he finishes wrapping Daehyun’s wrist in the gauze. He opens several bandages for the smaller cuts. Daehyun looks at the baby tuin still cleaning itself up. He pets its head, his throat closing up at the twin bumps between its ears, the beginnings of its horns. It blinks up at him and opens its mouth wide in a yawn. 

Himchan stares at the tuin. “It doesn’t have much time left. I think it’s been in our atmosphere for too long. It’s starting to show symptoms of decompression sickness.”

Daehyun holds his hand out to the tuin, and when it starts to move, it lets out a pained chirp, its breaths coming out shallower and faster. The pulsing light its scales give off have been growing fainter. Himchan is right. It’s been dying the moment it entered their atmosphere.

“I wish it didn’t have to die so soon,” Daehyun whispers as it rests its head on his open palm, its eyes closing. 

Daehyun’s father suddenly bursts into the study, face flushed and hands balled into fists at his sides. Daehyun doesn’t even have time to hide the tuin. He sees the tuin, and Daehyun can see the accusations sharpening the knives in his eyes. He turns to Himchan, and nods to the door. Himchan returns the medic kit on the shelf, his eyes cast downward, and scurries out the door. Daehyun’s father slams it closed.

“Someone told me you’d brought a tuin onto the estate. I didn’t want to believe it, and yet here you are.” Daehyun’s father takes a deep breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut. When he speaks again, his words come out slower, controlled anger on the verge of exploding. “Jung Daehyun, I’m not concerned with _how_ you came across the thing, but _why_ you thought bringing it here would be a good idea.”

“Father, I couldn’t leave it on the _streets_ ,” Daehyun replies, slowly moving his arm behind him. “It was going to die.”

Daehyun’s father puts his hands on his hips, beginning to pace the room, and Daehyun is reminded of the shouting, the arguing, the constant fight for control. The fight just to be _heard_. “It was going to die anyway, Daehyun. You know tuins can only consume neutrinos, and it’s not adapted to our atmospheric pressure. It’s a _miracle_ it’s still alive.”

“Then, father, if you will, at least let me respect it in its last moments,” Daehyun grits out through his teeth. He carefully places the tuin’s head on his desk and walks to his shelf to look for a suitable container for its coffin.

Daehyun’s father stops pacing and walks to Daehyun, jabbing a finger at Daehyun’s chest. “This is why I’ve always had trouble with you. Your heart is too big, too _merciful_.”

Daehyun looks down at the manicured finger pressing against his chest, then up into his father’s eyes. “You speak like it’s a bad thing.”

“I keep telling you that it’s your biggest weakness. It’s a _vulnerability_.” Daehyun’s father spits the last word as he removes his finger. He watches Daehyun search for a container, then sighs, placing a hand on Daehyun’s shoulder. “You know I’m just trying to get you ready to rule over this nation. These people need you.You are my first-born, my pride and joy. I only want what’s best for you, and for that, I need you to be _strong_.”

And Daehuyn _knows_ his father wants the best for him––it’s what he’s said _all_ of Daehyun’s life––but it doesn’t matter when he refuses to listen to Daehyun at all. He grabs an airtight metal tube from the shelf, one with intricate designs etched into the cover, and walks back to his desk, letting his father’s hand fall from his shoulder.

“I understand, father,” Daehyun replies. He takes the tuin into his hands, his heart clenching at the sight of the faint glow of its scales, its irregular breaths, the way its eyes have glassed over, and can’t bring himself to lower it into the container just yet. 

Daehyun feels his father’s gaze on his back, but he ignores it as he feels the tuin’s breaths come out slower. He hears his father’s footsteps approach the door, and then he’s gone. Daehyun lets out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, and sits down in the chair, looking out the wide windows and into the mid-morning sunlight. He looks down at the tuin, and it looks back up at him, chirping quietly before resting its head on its tail again.

“Why did you have to come here, huh? Why didn’t you die with your pack in space?” The scales’ glow begins to fade. “I’m sorry. I know it must hurt, but you’ll be with them soon, I promise.”

The door slides open again, and Daehyun drops his head forward with a sigh. He’s not ready to face his father again. Not yet. Not right now.

“It’s just me,” Himchan says, placing a soft hand between Daehyun’s tense shoulder blades and rubbing slow circles with his thumb. “I’m sorry.”

Daehyun draws in a deep breath, holding it at the center of his body, and lets it go. Himchan stands in silence, his hand still on Daehyun’s back. They watch the tuin take its last stuttering breaths. Its eyes slip closed, its movements stopping completely, and Daehyun knows it’s finally gone. He waits a couple more moments, petting its head one last time before he lowers it into the container. The lid is heavy when he brings it down. The airtight seal hisses as it locks in place, and Daehyun hates how final it sounds. How it seems to define the finality of death itself.

“We should get going,” Himchan whispers, moving his hand to Daehyun’s shoulder to squeeze, gently insistent.

Daehyun nods, taking another deep breath to calm himself, and stands up with the container in his hands. They walk out of the study, and Daehyun’s legs take him to the hangar. It’s only right for the tuin to be returned to space.

When he turns a corner, he sees Youngjae and Yongguk walk across the hall. They bow their heads the instant their eyes meet with Daehyun’s. Youngjae’s eyes fall on the container, and he gulps, his eyes quickly darting down and to the side. Yongguk urges Youngjae to keep walking.

//

Daehyun mourns the tuin, but he knows that he has duties to be fulfilled and a Yoo to marry. He can’t allow a grudge to get in the way of an alliance. To act for himself is to turn his back on his people.

Selfishness is immoral. 

Emotions are weakness.

_I need you to be strong_.

Daehyun walks into his father’s office the next day, hands clasped behind his back. “You called for me, father?”

“Did you get rid of the tuin?” he asks, not looking up from the tablet in his hand. He signs something and hands it to the secretary, who bows his head when he passes Daehyun on his way out.

“I did,” Daehyun replies.

His father finally looks up at Daehyun. “Good. I discussed the terms with Jaesuk, and your marriage will take place at the start of the next cycle. Youngjae will stay here to become accustomed to the planet. Yongguk as well.”

Daehyun would have liked to visit Tellus 2 instead, but he says, “Excellent.”

Daehyun’s father smiles, the pride coming off it unmistakable. “Thank you for agreeing to the marriage despite it being so sudden. You’re growing into a suitable heir.”

“If it’s for the betterment of this nation, I’ll do whatever it takes, father, you know that,” Daehyun says.

His father nods. “Good. I don’t know where this is coming from, but I’m glad you’re finally starting to understand.” He leans back in his chair, picking up a sheet of paper to examine. “That’s all I needed to tell you.”

Daehyun bows his head and walks out into the hallway. He looks out the open window down into the courtyard and sees Yongguk standing on a stump, his hands pressed together in front of his chest, one leg propped against the side of his knee, completely motionless. He’s dressed only in loose pants, his shirt tossed to the side, the early morning sun engulfing him in gold. There’s something fascinating about the way his body shifts so infinitesimally with every breath. He’s almost picturesque.

Yongguk opens his eyes, his gaze drifting up to lock with Daehyun’s, and Daehyun finally realizes that he’d been staring. He waves just to be polite.

The corner of Yongguk’s mouth twitches up for a fraction of a second before he waves back. “Good morning. You’re up early.”

Daehyun walks closer to the windowsill. “So are you, commander. Shouldn’t you be watching over Youngjae?”

“He’s still asleep. He has to get used to the planet’s rotation, and I trust your security enough to watch over him for now,” Yongguk replies, lowering his other leg onto the stump.

Daehyun realizes there’s a thin sheen of sweat glowing on Yongguk’s skin. He’s been working out. How long has he been awake? 

“Well, sorry for disturbing you,” Daehyun says with another wave and pushes away from the windowsill. 

“Actually, I have to talk to you about something, if you don’t mind.” Yongguk hops off the stump, grabbing his shirt, and jogs up the steps to Daehyun. 

Daehyun tilts his head. “What did you need?”

“I’d like to apologize,” Yongguk says after putting his back shirt on. “About the tuins.”

Daehyun blinks. Not the first thing he expected from Yongguk, being a commander. Many soldiers he’s known wouldn’t push their pride away so easily to apologize––especially if they’d been acting in self-defense, Daehyun realizes––but then again, he hasn’t met many soldiers outside of his solar system. 

“Oh. I mean, you weren’t the pilot, so I can’t hold you completely responsible, can I?” Daehyun replies.

Yongguk shakes his head, brushes the damp strands of hair out of his face. “No, but I could have done something. I did nothing to stop them, and for that, I apologize.” He bends at the waist, bowing deeply.

Daehyun’s mouth drops, and he stares at the top of Yongguk’s head for a silent moment before he’s urging Yongguk up with a hand on Yongguk’s shoulder. “It… It’s fine, commander. I’ll admit I acted…irrationally in the moment. Please get up, it’s okay.”

Yongguk straightens, that same corner of his mouth twitching up into the beginnings of a smile.

Daehyun knows that maintaining an amicable relationship with the opposite party is required to make the alliance, the _marriage_ , work, and if he wants to serve his people, this marriage _has_ to work. If he wants to make his father happy, he has to push aside his own feelings because he’s just a valuable jewel in his father’s collection, a piece of fancy china polished to perfection until he’s ready to be presented to the world.

But for once, hearing the sincerity in Yongguk’s apology, feeling the steady, pulsing warmth beneath his fingertips, and seeing a shy and almost amused smile in Yongguk’s features, he wonders if maybe he doesn’t have to wear such a heavy facade. Maybe his own smiles don’t have to be so fake.

“Thank you though, truly. For the apology,” Daehyun says as Yongguk straightens to his full height. 

“It’s the least I could do.” Yongguk clasps his hands in front of him. “Truthfully, the prince has been worrying that he’s jeopardized the alliance.”

Daehyun shakes his head because what else can he do? “He hasn’t. Trust me.” _Father won’t let something as trivial as a pack of tuins jeopardize the alliance_ , he thinks, but keeps his mouth shut.

Yongguk suddenly takes a step back. “I’ve taken enough of your time. I should be heading back to the prince anyway.” He bows his head again. “Thank you for hearing me out.”

Daehyun watches Yongguk’s back for a moment as he walks down the hall. He begins to think that maybe Bang Yongguk is an interesting man he wouldn’t mind spending more time getting to know. He frowns, shaking his head, and begins walking in the opposite direction.

The last time he allowed himself to indulge in his desires resulted in a disaster that can easily be avoided now.

//

Kim Seokjin was a soldier of the 190th squad, assigned to guard the palace grounds. Broad-shouldered and immediately friendly, nobody would have guessed that he could wield a laser blade with as much finesse as a dancer. He danced when he fought, feet moving to a rhythm only he could hear, the blue laser blade a bright blur in his hands. He was enchanting in every respect.

Daehyun still thinks of Seokjin’s touch in the dark hours when all else is quiet, wishing his own hands touching himself were someone else's.

Kim Seokjin died because Daehyun’s father caught the longing glances, read the feelings between their brief public appearances.

Kim Seokjin died of a weapon malfunction, his laser blade exploding in his fingers as soon as he activated it.

Kim Seokjin died because Daehyun allowed himself to indulge in a love he doesn’t deserve. 

_“Think about the consequences before you decide to engage in something so shameful.”_

So, when Daehyun begins to feel his stomach stir, his heart stuttering alive, his breaths catching in his throat, because of _Yongguk_ , he makes sure to stomp out the tiny flame before everything surrounding it catches fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> daehyun has a type and that type is a man in uniform oh boy do i love projecting onto my characters


	3. Chapter 3

By the next week, Daehyun has his new routine down. Though, having to sit across from Youngjae at the dinner table every evening could hardly count as a significant change. But Daehyun wasn’t born yesterday. He knows that Youngjae has been avoiding him. He almost feels bad. Whenever they happen to pass by each other in the halls, Youngjae will bow his head in greeting, but nothing else after that. During dinner, he’ll talk to everyone else at the table but Daehyun.

Of course, Daehyun’s father notices.

“I don’t know what happened between you two, but I need you to fix this. Jaesuk and I introduced you to each other in the hopes that you’ll get along,” Daehyun’s father says. He leans back in his chair with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “We can’t have you being awkward at the ceremony.”

Daehyun blinks. He’s fine with the marriage, the alliance, the niceties, but no one mentioned a ceremony. He thought the most he was going to do was walk into an office, sign a tablet, and promptly _fuck off_. “Father, you didn’t tell me there was going to be a ceremony.”

“ _Of course_ there’s going to be a ceremony. The public is going to want something besides an announcement,” Daehyun’s father replies, coming forward to prop his elbows on his desk. “I planned to tell you earlier, but I had to prepare some other things. But, more importantly, you have to fix whatever is going on between you and Youngjae.”

“I will, father.” Daehyun bows his head and walks out of his father’s office. He walks down the hall, biting the inside of his cheek. It’s one thing to try and get Youngjae to open up to him, but it’s another thing to try and find him on the massive estate. He could be anywhere. Daehyun sighs. “One thing at a time, Daehyun. One thing––“

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to throw a little harder.”

“Oh, I’m sorry my upper arm strength isn’t up to par with _yours_.”

Daehyun looks out one of the windows and sees Yongguk with Youngjae in the same courtyard. Youngjae sits cross-legged on the stump throwing pebbles at Yongguk, who evades each one with his eyes covered by a cloth. He moves like a smooth beat resounds throughout his entire body, flowing through his veins instead of blood. Even when Youngjae throws each pebble like rapid fire bullets, Yongguk dodges each one with ease––until a pebble meets his shoulder.

“Finally!” Youngjae’s arms shoot up in the air as he cheers. “Are you distracted, commander?”

Daehyun is struck with such an intense feeling of familiarity and bitter longing that he wants to _choke_. His hands curl into trembling fists in his pockets, his nails biting into the smooth skin of his palms. Seeing them just talking makes his stomach churn, and he hates it. He hates that he _wants_ that, and he hates that he can’t _have_ that.

Yongguk lifts the cloth, eyebrows furrowing like he’s genuinely concerned and confused that he got hit. “I’m… Let’s go again.” He scratches his head, taking a deep breath, but before he pulls the cloth back over his eyes, he blinks and looks up at the window, up at Daehyun. And the smile that slowly infects his whole face seems to say _Oh, that’s why_. 

Youngjae looks up, his own smile falling. He actually begins to curl in on himself, just barely noticeable, and Daehyun’s father’s voice echoes in the back of his mind, angry and demanding, _I need you to fix this_. Daehyun rushes down the steps, eventually finding himself in front of Youngjae and Yongguk. He stares at them for a second, having only half a plan formed in his mind.

Youngjae nods in greeting at the same time Yongguk says, “Good morning.”

“I was actually looking for you,” Daehyun means to say to both of them, but he’s looking at Yongguk, so he quickly adds, “Both of you.”

“Did you need anything?” Youngjae asks, and it’s the most he’s said to Daehyun at all in a week, so forgive him for being a little shocked. 

“I was just wondering if you’d like to continue that tour of the city.” Daehyun turns to Youngjae with a smile, and he knows it’s weak and fake as the Earth-imitation pears, but goddammit, he has to at least _try_. “If you aren’t busy…”

Uncertainty flickers across Youngjae’s features, his eyes going a little wide, his shoulders curling a little further into himself. “Um… I don’t…” Yongguk looks at Youngjae, and they share a look. Daehyun doesn’t even know what kind of conversation they’re having, but Youngjae eventually sighs, lowering his head, then looks back up at Daehyun. “Sure. We’ll come along.”

“We can take a car,” Daehyun says, feeling only half-relieved. Now he just has to usher Youngjae and Yongguk around the city for a day. No big deal. This is fine.

Yongguk is already shrugging his jacket on before any of them can change their minds. Youngjae slides off the stump, wiping his pants of any dirt, and stretching as he stands up. Daehyun begins walking, and he just kinda hopes that they’re following behind him.

“Do you usually drive yourself around?” Yongguk asks.

Daehyun glances back to see Yongguk falling into step with Youngjae behind him. “If I ever get into an accident, I’d rather be the one held responsible.” He thinks for a moment. “Not that I’m trying to purposely get into an accident…”

Someone snickers, sharp and sudden, but it’s not as deep as Yongguk’s voice. Daehyun realizes it’s Youngjae when he coughs, abrupt and self-conscious.

Daehyun realizes that maybe Youngjae is just nervous. He remembers Yongguk’s words a week ago–– _the prince has been worrying that he’s jeopardized the alliance_ ––and he spins around on the balls of his feet. Youngjae and Yongguk stumble back. Youngjae blinks wide eyes as he regains his balance while Yongguk just raises an eyebrow.

“I know you’re worried you ruined the alliance,” Daehyun says, crossing his arms above his chest.

Youngjae blinks. “Um. Well. Yes. Correct.” He drops into a bow. “I’m incredibly sorry for my––“

“Shit–– Wait, _no_ , the commander did the exact same thing.” Daehyun quickly looks around, feeling a knot of anxiety twist in his stomach when several people avoid his eyes as they walk past the three of them. “Please get up. I acted irrationally that day, and I’m sorry for that. You didn’t––“ He places a hand on Youngjae’s shoulder. “––ruin the alliance. Think about it. You acted in self-defense, and I _cannot_ blame you for that. Our fathers won’t break off the alliance because of that.”

Youngjae gulps, eventually lifting his head, unsure and careful. “How can you be so sure?”

“Trust me. I’m sure,” Daehyun replies. He’s gone through this situation himself hundreds of times, and he’s come to the same conclusion every time. He just has to convince Youngjae to think the same thing. “Our fathers really want this alliance to work out.”

“You’re right.” Youngjae hums, realization dawning on him. He looks into Daehyun’s eyes, a sort of renewed determination flaring up, and for a moment, Daehyun can see how the people from Earth managed to get off the planet in the first place, how they managed to survive in environments designed to ruin them. 

Daehyun blinks, snapping himself out of his daze, and nods. “Right. Okay. Good. Glad we had this talk. Let’s go downtown then.” He turns around to continue walking to the garage.

//

Throughout the day, Youngjae slowly opens up. At first Daehyun was worried he’s never be able to fix the awkwardness between them, despite what Youngjae said earlier, but Youngjae proves him wrong. Turns out he wants this to out just as much as their fathers.

Daehyun drives to all the popular tourist spots, and although Yongguk looks like he’s about to pop a vein as each place they go to gets increasingly busier, Youngjae seems to be enjoying himself. He has his tablet out constantly, fitting no bigger than the palm of his hand, sometimes typing, sometimes snapping pictures, documenting everything with a wide-eyed wonder sparkling in his eyes.

“What are you putting in there?” Daehyun asks as he walks beside Youngjae on the riverbank. He takes a peek at the screen, but he doesn’t catch much on the word document as Youngjae switches to the camera.

“It’s a journal… Of sorts. Traveling her really puts things in perspective for me, and I want to write everything down to make sure I remember it,” Youngjae replies, lifting the tablet to take a picture of the skyline as the sun sets behind it. He turns to Daehyun, pocketing his tablet. “Did you know there’s acid fog on certain parts of Tellus 2? We’re limited to about 60% of the planet’s land mass simply because the fog prevents us from going any further. When I first saw just how much of the land had been developed here, I was _amazed_.”

Daehyun feels pride well up in his chest and his ears flare with heat as Youngjae goes on. No one’s ever talked about his planet like this, not with such revere and respect. Not even he’s spoken so highly of the planets he’s visited. Youngjae is completely curious and fascinated by Daehyun’s culture, not daring to miss even a second of it, and Daehyun’s finds himself fascinated by Youngjae in return, curious about the way he sees Daehyun’s world.

//

“I’m glad you were able to fix everything,” Daehyun’s father says as he walks into Daehyun’s study later that night.

Daehyun spins around in his chair to face his father. “How did you find out?”

His father nods, as if he’s suddenly understanding something Daehyun doesn’t. “You haven’t seen it yet.”

“Seen what?” Daehyun sighs. He’s getting tired of the way his father is talking around the subject like he expects to know exactly what’s going on.

Daehyun’s father pulls his phone out of his pocket and shows the screen to Daehyun. In bold words reads _Jung Heir Seen With Prince Of Tellus 2, Blossoming Love Or Possible Alliance?_ with a picture of him and Youngjae walking along the riverbank with Yongguk behind them. There’s a whole article beneath it, but Daehyun isn’t interested in that. He whistles, handing the phone back to his father. Gossip travels fast, especially when his family is the center of the nation’s attention. 

Not to be arrogant.

“You’re set the stage for the formal announcement in a few weeks’ time,” Daehyun’s father says with a proud smile. “Keep it up.”

“Thank you, father, I’ll…” He’ll what? Play along with the tabloids? Promise his entire future to Yoo Youngjae? “I’ll plan something for tomorrow.”

Daehyun’s father nods and backs out of the study. “Good man.”

He closes the door, adn Daehyun is left to sit alone in silence. He looks out the window at the glittering city below, and he’s reminded that soon enough, he’ll take his father’s place and uphold the Jung name. It’s a lot to take in, and he’s not sure if he’s entirely ready. 

He’s not sure if he’ll ever be ready.

The hologram atop his desk pops up with an incoming video call from his younger brother. He’s been away on a diplomatic mission in a nearby solar system, and Daehyun would rather not admit that he misses talking to him. If he’s speaking honestly, he actually enjoys his brother’s company. “Hey.”

“Hyung! I saw the news! Congratulations!” he exclaims once they’re connected. He’s practically bouncing in his seat. 

“Thanks,” Daehyun says. Gossip travels faster than he thought. “It’s good to hear from you, Hoseok. How’s Febrion 5?”

Hoseok waves a single dismissive hand. “The usual. I’m more interested in _your_ life right now, though.” He puts his elbow on his desk, his chin in his hand, his smile spreading like a virus on his face. “I mean, Tellus 2? How’d dad land a deal with them? An isolationist nation suddenly coming out to form an alliance with _us_?”

Daehyun kicks his legs up on his desk. Once Hoseok starts rambling, he might as well start getting comfortable.

“How _fuckin’_ lucky are we to form an alliance with them, right? I heard their military is no joke. Apparently they’re developing a way to harness the acid fog there.”

“They’re limited to 60% of their planet’s land mass because of that fog,” Daehyun interrupts with a tilt of his head, echoing what Youngjae told him earlier. “I doubt they’re weaponizing it.”

Hoseok’s eyes light up even more, if that were even possible, and he leans forward like he’s about to share highly confidential information with Daehyun. “I bet the fog is spreading into their cities. They’re using the alliance to scout out some planets so they can move.”

Daehyun almost begins to protest, but Hoseok isn’t dumb. He’s brighter than his smile lets on, and he prides himself on that intuition hidden like a wolf in sheep’s fur. And the longer Daehyun thinks about it, the more Youngjae’s panicked desperation makes sense. All to make the alliance work.

“Am I right?” Hoseok asks as his grin turns smug.”Or am I right?”

Daehyun just hates that he didn’t connect the dots earlier.

“You’re definitely onto something.” Daehyun crosses his arms, bringing his bottom lip in between his teeth. Is there any reason for them to hide that, though?

Hoseok begins to say something, but he’s cut off by a knocking on the door behind him. He frowns, glancing back and saying, “I’ll be out in a minute.” He turns back to Daehyun. “I’ll talk to you later, hyung. It’s nighttime there, right? Don’t stay up _too_ late, alright?” He wiggles his eyebrows, a sly grin returning on his face.

Daehyun rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling anyway. “Good night, Hoseok. Hope the mission goes smoothly.”

Hoseok grins, his eyes slipping closed. “Thanks, hyung.” But just before Daehyun can end the call, Hoseok’s hand shoots out to stop him, his smile gone, replaced with something stern and serious. “Hyung, be careful, alright?”

Daehyun tilts his head, almost laughing. “Hoseok, is that concern I hear in your voice? Are you genuinely concerned about me right now?”

“Hyung, I’m serious,” Hoseok insists, and Daehyun sees something strained and tense in Hoseok’s eyes, coiled tight like a spring. “Be careful.”

Daehyun blinks. “Okay. Alright. I will. Good night, Hoseok.”

“Bye, hyung, I’ll call you later.” Hoseok ends the call, and the hologram disappears, leaving Daehyun to stare out his window again.

Daehyun shakes his head. What was Hoseok talking about? He’s always careful. Being completely reckless would be irresponsible, not to mention shameful to their family name, and Daehyun and Hoseok were raised to know better.

But it’s getting late, and Daehyun has better things to do than worry about what Hoseok was implying. He stands up and stretches before turning off the light and walking down the hall to his bedroom. 

The palace is never truly quiet, but in the early hours, when everyone is getting ready to sleep and only the guards are awake, Daehyun likes to listen to the electric hum buzzing through the walls. It’s the security barrier Daehyun’s ancestors built to ward off potential technological attacks, and it’s been a comfort to Daehyun his whole life. When he’s lying in bed, completely still and engulfed in a silence not entirely stifling, he swears he can feel the current of the palace beneath him, the vibrations coursing down to his fingertips.

Daehyun lays awake in his bed, letting the familiar electric hum lull him to sleep, but ti’s not the same. There’s a void in the current, barely there, but it feels like a missing note in a song, an unmistakable pause in the hum.

Daehyun throws his blanket off himself and peeks outside his bedroom door. There has to be a source, but it’s a matter of finding it. He steps out, ignoring the sharp sting of the cold tile piercing through his socked feet. With his eyes closed, he begins to walk down the halls, feeling for the void, listening for that pause.

“Sir? Can…I help you?”

Daehyun’s eyes fly open to see Yongguk standing outside his room, eyebrows furrowed and head tilted as he leans on the doorframe. Daehyun didn’t even realize he’d stopped in front of Yongguk’s door.

“Oh… Hey. What’s up?” Daehyun tries to fight the creeping blush beginning to warm his entire face. “I’m just… Just, um… I like walking around the halls at night. Helps me sleep.”

It’s a pathetic lie, but if Yongguk sees through it, he doesn’t say anything, which Daehyun is eternally grateful for. He nods instead. “Oh, I thought you were sleep walking for a second. Sorry to disturb you.”

And Daehyun finally realizes why he’d stopped in front of Yongguk’s room. The void _is_ the room. The current just skips over the room entirely like there’s something deflecting it, creating such an irregular gap, which brings up two questions. What is creating this void? And why exactly would Yongguk need to create it in the first place?

“Actually,” Daehyun says before Yongguk can close the door, and he struggles to find a plausible reason to bring Yongguk out, “would you like to join me? It’s nice to walk with around with someone.”

Yongguk stares at Daehyun for what feels like an embarrassing eternity until he shrugs. “Sure, I’ll join you.”

Daehyun bites the inside of his cheek to keep from looking too surprised as Yongguk slips out of his room and into the hallway, sliding his door closed behind him quietly, because if he’ll be honest, he didn’t expect Yongguk to say yes.

“Lead the way,” Yongguk says, hands in his pockets.

Daehyun begins walking, not knowing where to go, with Yongguk trailing behind him. “Um… I don’t know about you,” he pauses, and he’s relieved that Yongguk can’t see the panic prickling beneath his skin, “but I’m feeling a little hungry.”

Yongguk’s footsteps stop, and Daehyun turns around. For the briefest moment, he swears something flares up in Yongguk’s eyes, fiery and intense and dark, and Daehyun’s breath is knocked completely out of him.

And then, as soon as it appeared, it’s gone. Daehyun draws in a shaky breath, wondering if he just imagined it.

“I’m afraid I have to politely decline,” Yongguk says, suddenly more guarded than be was a few minutes ago. “I cannot engage in that sort of behavior––“

Daehyun blinks, and his face explodes with warmth as he realizes. “Oh. _Oh_. No, that’s not what I–– I meant… I meant I’m actually hungry. For actual food.”

Yongguk splutters, his eyes going impossibly wide. “I’m so sorry.”

But through the awkwardness and disbelief, Daehyun begins to laugh because how else is he supposed to respond to a situation like this? He wasn’t taught this during his foreign politics lessons. No one goes over how to deal with a mistaken sexual innuendo, and he is properly horrified, but he can only imagine how Yongguk feels.

So he laughs because this isn’t something that happens to him everyday.

“I, um, I can walk myself back,” Yongguk says, his voice a quiet rumble beneath Daehyun’s laughter.

Daehyun shakes his head. “No, no. I invited you to walk with me and get food. Let’s go to the kitchen.” He almost grabs onto Yongguk’s elbow, a habit from pulling Himchan and Hoseok into things that they later got into trouble for, but he pulls himself back, quickly shoving his hands into his pockets before Yongguk can notice.

Yongguk follows behind Daehyun regardless, his footsteps quieter than before. The hallways suddenly seem tighter than before, the high ceilings stretching farther away, and Daehyun begins to feel claustrophobic. Hoseok’s words echo in his mind ( _“Be careful, hyung”_ ), and he wracks his mind for ideas. He has to get the information out of Yongguk somehow.

Either way, they’re in the kitchen now, and Daehyun is looking in the fridge for something quick to make with Yongguk pulling up a chair to sit.

“Do you have any preferences or allergies?” Daehyun asks, bending at the waist to look into the lower shelves. 

“No,” Yongguk replies, somehow quieter in the dim lights, subdued and withdrawn. “Whatever you like.”

Daehyun purses his lips as he turns to look at Yongguk. The electric current buzzes around him, but there’s something about Yongguk that’s almost sparking, a fuse about to blow, an exposed wire threatening to burn up. It’s fascinating as much as it is dangerous, and Daehyun can’t help but long to reach out. 

//

Routines make up Daehyun’s life, and he begins a new routine with Yongguk, usually in the middle of the night, usually in the kitchen. It feels as easy just as much as it feels familiar.

“Your palate is much spicier than the average Tellusian,” Yongguk notes one night after downing an entire glass of water one night. “Wow, what kind of tolerance…”

“Our ancestors believed that if we ate enough spicy food, we’d sweat evil out of our bodies,” Daehyun replies over a small pan of simmering meat the next night. “I never thought about the spices we put in our dishes, but our chefs know to hold back when cooking for the visiting diplomats.”

“I’m guessing the chefs didn’t give you lessons, did they?” Yongguk asks the week after that with a small grin playing on his lips as Daehyun throws a charred pancake into the trash. 

“Not much time to cook between diplomatic missions and studying about my own nation’s government,” Daehyun says, picking at a piece of fruit in his bowl the night after that. “Don’t tell me you know how to cook?”

“My mother actually taught me until I was about 10 cycles old,” Yongguk replies, stirring a small pot of tamarind soup the next night. He pauses to think, his movements slowing. “About 7 cycles for your timeline, if my math is correct.”

“What was she like?” Daehyun asks after a minute of silence. He doesn’t know if it’s an appropriate question to ask, but it’s out of his mouth before he can seriously consider the consequences, so he decides to wait for it.

Yongguk looks into the pot, still stirring with his chopsticks, and Daehyun can only stare at Yongguk’s back. “Powerful, even by Tellusian standards, but also gentle. She could take down a small squadron within minutes, but she won’t hesitate to help anyone out.” He takes the pot off the burner and places it on the counter with a mat beneath it. He sits across from Daehyun. “How about your mother?”

Daehyun blinks, freezing for half a second as he places the spoons in the pot. “She died… Um, several cycles after my brother was born. My father couldn’t bring himself to remarry.”

“Oh… I’m incredibly sorry,” Yongguk says, his voice dropping a little quieter.

Daehyun waves his hand, dismissive, as he dips his spoon into the broth. “Thanks, but…really, it’s okay. It happened a long time ago. All I remember is that she smelled like those replicate pears.” He lifts the spoon, blows a couple breaths on it, and brings it to his lips. His lips pucker up on instinct. “Whoa… Okay. Wow. That’s…really sour.”

Yongguk laughs, his fist coming up to cover his mouth as he curls forward, and it’s a little endearing, if Daehyun is being honest. “Sorry, I didn’t realize.”

“Differences in our palates,” Daehyun chokes out after a moment, smiling back.

Yongguk’s eyes flicker to Daehyun’s lips, just for the briefest moment, but that electricity crackles between them nonetheless. 

Yongguk’s eyes flicker to Daehyun’s lips, and Daehyun swallows a thick lump in his throat, his mouth suddenly dry.

Daehyun licks his lips, and Yongguk’s breath hitches, small, infinitesimal, and Daehyun’s spoon clatters to the counter as he leans forward to grab onto the front of Yongguk’s shirt. The fabric is soft, nearly silken against his trembling fingertips. Yongguk’s breaths come out as short and hot puffs against Daehyun’s nose, his eyes growing wider with each passing moment.

Daehyun can’t help but notice the shimmering golden flecks reflecting the dim light in Yongguk’s eyes.

“What are you doing?” Yongguk asks, his voice rumbling through Daehyun, quiet and demanding but almost scared. 

And Daehyun realizes that his marriage is this upcoming cycle, and he’s been having midnight chats with his future husband’s _bodyguard_. He lets go of Yongguk’s shirt, stumbling back into his seat. “I… I’m sorry. I don’t know… What…”

Yongguk takes a deep breath. “If you’re going to do something, you better mean it.”

Daehyun’s head whips up so fast, he could have gotten whiplash. He searches Yongguk’s eyes for an answer, but he only gets a blank slate, unreadable obsidian meeting his own. “What?”

Yongguk stands up and circles around the counter to Daehyun, standing over him. “Do you mean it?”

It only takes a second. Yongguk begins to pull away, like a butterfly beginning to flutter away, and Daehyun has his hands scrambling to reach out for Yongguk. 

It only takes a second. Daehyun pulls down on Yongguk’s shirt, pulls Yongguk down, until their lips meet, and that same electricity explodes into a million sparks, warming Daehyun as much as it’s burning him. Yongguk’s lips are soft, thick, just a touch insistent, a little impatient.

And Daehyun doesn’t care that they’re in the kitchen, lit only by a small light behind them. He doesn’t care that this isn’t something he should be doing. He just…stopped giving a fuck. 

Yongguk is the first to pull away, and Daehyun’s eyes flutter open. He doesn’t even remember when he’d closed them. He feels like they’re suspended in time, breaths held, heartbeats racing. Daehyun’s vision starts to dim around the edges.

“Are you okay?” Yongguk asks. He sounds like he’s a million miles away, submerged beneath several tons of water.

Daehyun blinks, letting out a breath. He’s still holding onto Yongguk’s shirt. “What…”

“Did you mean that?” Yongguk asks, his own breaths ghosting over Daehyun. His hands are braced against the counter and the back of Daehyun’s chair, nearly enclosing him in. 

The lump in Daehyun’s throat never really left, and when he tries to swallow it down, it feels like it only grows. “I…”

Daehyun wants to make it mean something, but he has a marriage next cycle, and he should stop this before it goes any further. 

Before it ends the same it did with Seokjin.

“If I did?” Daehyun asks, his whisper so quiet even he barely heard it. He licks his lips again, and he swears he can still taste Yongguk. Sour, a little foreign, something not native to this planet.

“You know how this is going to end, right?” Yongguk replies, his question echoing Daehyun’s own thoughts.

Daehyun lets go of Yongguk’s shirt, his palms flattening against the hard bone of Yongguk’s chest, and he’s almost relieved to find that Yongguk’s heart is beating as hard as his own.

“This should stop. I’m sorry.” Daehyun dares to look up into Yongguk’s obsidian eyes, but finds still nothing. The only thing that’s betraying him is his heartbeat. “I’m sorry.”

Yongguk pulls back, a small, sympathetic smile playing on his lips. “Don’t be.”

When Daehyun retreats into the darkness of his room, he finally realizes why this felt so familiar, why this particular routine was so easy to fall back into, why kissing Yongguk felt so natural. He turns onto his side, pulling his legs up to his chest, his sobs escaping his mouth as soft gasps.

“Help me, Seokjin, please,” Daehyun whispers, closing his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoop there it is.
> 
> since i posted the last chapter, my friend has been screaming at me “kim fucking seokjin doesn’t dance have you seen him dance” but listen. l i s t e n. the boy is doing his fucking best goddammit. kim fucking seokjin doesn’t deserve this slander.
> 
> anyway, school started up again, so updates will slow down immensely, you know, the one thing i'm famous for lmao.


	4. Chapter 4

The announcement about the marriage drops a day later. Neither Daehyun nor Youngjae expect it.

Daehyun and Youngjae are out walking when it happens, and every cellphone in the nation goes off. The anthem plays, and it’s like a scene from a movie when Daehyun looks at everybody pull their phones out of their pockets at the same time. He’ll admit it’s efficient, but it’s still unnerving to see it happen. To see hundreds of thousands of people all leashed together like this.

“What’s going on?” Youngjae asks as he leans into Daehyun’s side, his eyes flitting to each person they pass.

“Public announcement,” Daehyun replies. Some people are beginning to finish reading the message, their eyes darting around in search of Daehyun. “About the marriage.”

Youngjae blinks, stepping a little closer to Daehyun and Yongguk. “Oh wow––“

“Congrats!” someone beside Daehyun exclaims, a burly woman, tall and wide-toothed. She slaps Daehyun on the back, and he has to shoot Yongguk a look to reassure him that she doesn’t mean any harm. She looks at Youngjae. “Are you the husband-to-be?”

Youngjae straightens his back, giving the woman a smile. “Yes, I am.”

A crowd begins to draw in closer, pushing the three of them together, trying to talk over the other. Daehyun’s eyes dart from one person to the next, and suddenly it’s too much for him to handle. His hand comes up to the hem of Youngjae’s shirt as he fights to keep the smile on his face. His mind spins. The questions and shouts begin to dull out in his ears like white noise until all he can hear is a constant buzz.

A hand on the small of Daehyun’s back anchors him back down, warm and reassuring and solid. He looks at Youngjae, who seems to take everything in stride, then Yongguk, and suddenly Daehyun understands. Yongguk leans towards Youngjae, saying something into his ear, his hand still on Daehyun’s back, his thumb rubbing in tiny, comforting circles.

Daehyun takes a deep breath, collecting himself just enough to speak coherently. “We’ll answer all your questions at a later time. But right now––“ He takes Youngjae’s hand, ignoring the cold spot in the small of his back when Yongguk removes his own hand, and smiles as he begins pushing through the crowd. “––we’d like some privacy, if you’ll allow.”

The crowd eventually parts, but they’re still asking questions. Daehyun feels a headache begin to take root in the base of his skull, slowly wrapping around his head and squeezing.

They eventually find solace in a quiet bar in an alleyway, no bigger than his bedroom. Daehyun’s heart pounds in his chest, heavy in his chest, heavier in his throat, threatening to choke him out. The old bartender looks at them, dark gray eyebrow raised, his hand holding a towel as he dries a low glass. Daehyun smiles at him as he sits at the bar.

“Congratulations,” the bartender says, his bored gaze flickering between Daehyun and Youngjae. “What can I get for you?”

“Thanks. Whiskey, please. Neat,” Daehyun says, pulling his phone out to pay. He looks at Youngjae and Yongguk, nodding to the bartender. “Get what you like. I’ll pay.”

“Do you have any pale ales?” Youngjae asks, taking the seat beside Daehyun’s. He turns to Yongguk, patting the seat beside his. “Relax for a bit, commander.”

Yongguk slides into the seat, fluid and graceful and almost inhuman. “Just water for me.”

The bartender nods, spinning around to gather the glasses and drinks. Daehyun leans back in his seat, his nerves finally calming down to a bearable level. Quiet music floats from unseen speakers in the ceiling, the exposed brick in the walls a dull glow against the lights hanging above the bar. There aren’t many other customers besides them, but they mind their own business, talking in hushed tones no louder than the music.

“How are you holding up?” Youngjae asks, leaning a little towards Daehyun. He reaches his hand out towards Daehyun, careful and unsure. “Yongguk told me you didn’t look too well earlier.”

Daehyun blinks, turning to look at Youngjae, almost surprised at the genuine concern in Youngjae’s eyes. “Oh… I’m fine. I’m fine, just, um… It was a little overwhelming. How about you? You didn’t seem fazed at all.”

The bartender places the glasses down on the counter, and walks to a different corner to take someone else’s order. 

Youngjae turns the glass bottle in his hands, his smile looking almost a little proud if Daehyun squints. “I guess you could say I’m used to it. Our people treat us differently. I guess… I kinda just got used to it, you know?”

Daehyun remembers Yongguk’s hand on the small of his back, warm and comforting, his thumb rubbing small circles. He realizes that maybe he’s done the same for Youngjae before. And suddenly, Daehyun feels like a child as shame and guilt wash over him. His face floods with heat from embarrassment. He shouldn’t be overwhelmed by something like that.

“I’m sorry. I should have been more professional about that,” Daehyun says. He takes a sip of his whiskey, but he just wants to go back home where he can die in peace.

“You shouldn’t be sorry. It was unexpected. To be honest, I was surprised too. We just have different ways of handling the people,” Youngjae says. He takes a sip of his beer, pursing his lips and humming in approval. “Our people treat us very differently.”

The embarrassment simmers down, but it’s still on the forefront of Daehyun’s mind. He downs the rest of his drink, hissing as it burns down his throat. “Thanks…”

“Don’t stress about it too much,” Youngjae says before taking another sip of his beer.

Daehyun turns to call the bartender over, catching Yongguk’s eye instead. His mind goes back to Yongguk. The hand on the small of his back. The feel of Yongguk’s lips against his. The taste of Yongguk’s lips.

An image flashes through Daehyun’s mind, burning through the backs of his retinas, like a crash of thunder and as quick as lightning. He sees Yongguk above him, pushing him down into a bed, kissing him until they’re both breathless, pressing down on him until the pressure is almost too much to handle, hands wandering across heated skin, pleasure coursing through their veins.

Daehyun sees Yongguk pressing his hand against the small of his back, pushing him down into the bed as he enters Daehyun, his hands gripping Daehyun’s hips hard enough to leave bruises. He can almost feel Yongguk’s lips press against the skin between his shoulder blades, leaving marks along his spine as he thrusts.

And it’s too much.

The bartender fills Daehyun’s glass, and he takes a shaking sip. “Thank you.”

“Are you okay?” Youngjae asks, his hand almost reaching out again.

Yongguk turns to look at Daehyun too, his eyebrows furrowing in concern. 

Daehyun laughs quietly into his glass, swirling the whiskey a little. “Would have been nice if my father said something about the announcement, wouldn’t it?”

//

Daehyun knows he isn’t sober, but he isn’t completely drunk either. Did he stop to consider that maybe he might be making a bad decision? No, but he knows he smells like four glasses of whiskey, and he’s walking to his father’s office. Did he stop to consider that he is being reckless? Yes, but he isn’t in public, so he bursts through the door, ignoring the hand his father holds up, a signal he’s grown to know that means to wait.

Daehyun doesn’t have the time to wait right now.

“Excuse me, father, but why the _fuck_ did you release an announcement tonight? You knew Youngjae and I would be out. You didn’t even think to give us a _warning_? Do you know how––“

“Jung Daehyun.” His booming voice stops Daehyun immediately. He stands up from his chair, his palms pressed flat on his desk. “What has gotten into you?”

“I’m just saying that a warning would have been nice,” Daehyun says, his voice going a little quiet as his confidence begins to dwindle. “The response was overwhelming…”

“Isn’t that what we want?” Dahyun’s father asks. He circles around his desk, his arms crossed, and stands in front of Daehyun. “What more do you––“ He takes one whiff of Daehyun, and his frown deepens. “Have you been drinking?”

Daehyun considers lying, he really does, but he knows he isn’t sober and he smells like four glasses of whiskey. “Yes. Don’t worry. Youngjae did too. Yongguk was with us.”

Daehyun’s father rubs his temples, squeezing his eyes shut, and sighs. “I’ll admit I should have given you fair warning, but it gave you two good exposure. Be grateful there isn’t any extreme backlash. It’s late, go to sleep. Drink water so you don’t have a headache in the morning, alright?”

Before Daehyun can say anything else, his father is already ushering him out of the room. Daehyun stands in the hallway, his father’s office door shut behind him, and he sways on his feet to his room. He walks to the elevator leading to the upper level living quarters, squinting at the ground because it’s spinning more than it should. He stands in front of the elevator leading to the sleeping quarters, barely able to keep his own eyes open.

The elevator bell rings out, loud in the dim quiet, and Daehyun walks in, not taking notice of Yongguk standing to the side.

“Good evening, sir.”

Daehyun turns his head, eyes blinking too quickly, and he sees Yongguk leaning a shoulder against the wall opposite of him. “Commander.”

They stand in the buzzing silence, heavy and suffocating, interrupted only by the periodic beeping coming from the elevator as they ascend. Suddenly, Daehyun is too sober, too aware of Yongguk standing just a couple feet away from him. Too aware of the privacy this tiny enclosed space is giving them. 

Daehyun wants to run his hands down Yongguk’s body, through his hair. He wants to kiss every inch of Yongguk’s skin, feel the heady pleasure in his touch. 

“Thank you,” Daehyun says. He sees Yongguk turn his head in his peripheral, and he stuffs his hands in his pockets. “For today. For calming me down.”

“It’s my job to protect Youngjae, and now, by extension, you too,” Yongguk replies.

Daehyun wants to feel Yongguk’s voice rumble through him, pressed tight against his chest. But something else in him makes his stomach churn and his pulse race. He wants to wake up beside Yongguk, bathed in early blue-gray light and wrapped in blankets that are too warm, pulling him closer and mumbling into his chest for _five more minutes_. 

And Daehyun realizes, with a sinking stomach, he didn’t tamp out the flame. He left the embers to sit and burn until that flame came back, renewed and somehow stronger than before, and it’s too late, too hot, too _great_ , to ignore anymore.

“What if it did mean something?” Daehyun whispers, fully turning his body to face Yongguk’s. His heart is pounding too fast in his chest, and he can barely hear anything over the roar in his ears. 

Yongguk looks at Daehyun, and for an instant, something soft and gentle trickles into his features, the beginnings of a smile forming on his lips, but the elevator rings and the doors slide open before he can do anything else, and he grits his teeth. He brings his bottom lip between his teeth, biting the smile back. His eyes are no longer warm.

“Have a good night,” Yongguk says as he steps off the elevator.

Daehyun draws in a deep breath, nearly collapsing against the cold metal railing as the elevator continues its ascent. He should have gotten off on the same floor with Yongguk, but he can’t bring himself to move.

“Why do you smell like whiskey and bad decisions?”

Daehyun looks up and realizes the elevator doors had opened again, and Himchan walks in, an eyebrow raised in curiosity. “Hey, hyung.”

“Did you want to talk about it?” Himchan asks. 

Daehyun gulps. How can he even begin to tell Himchan that he’s caught feelings for a military officer? _Again?_ He’d never hear the end of it. “I… I don’t know.”

Himchan presses the button for the kitchen with a sigh. “I already know what’ll get you to talk. And you need some food to get you sober.” He takes another whiff of Daehyun. “With all due respect, whiskey and self-pity isn’t a good scent on you.”

Daehyun sniffs. “Perceptive as always, hyung.”

“Wouldn’t be your attendant if I wasn’t,” Himchan replies as he pats Daehyun’s shoulder.

//

Daehyun sits at one of the islands with a glass of water in his hands. Himchan’s back is to him as he sets a kettle to heat up water. He spins around, arms crossed with his hips leaning against the counter behind him.

“So,” Himchan says, tilting his head. 

“So,” Daehyun echoes, his thumbs rubbing the smooth glass.

Himchan sits at the opposite side of the island, his fingers interlocking, and Daehyun has to remind himself that Himchan isn’t a therapist, but his attendant. And right now, his friend. “Well, I was expecting an explanation out of you, but you don’t seem to be ready for that, so I’ll pretend you don’t look like a kicked puppy for a hot minute.” He stands up again, and turns to open the massive fridge. “Are you hungry?”

“Hyung,” Daehyun says. He looks into his reflection in the water, and he realizes Himchan was right. He looks like a sad copy of himself.

Himchan turns around, silent and expectant, but there’s something in his eyes that makes Daehyun want to spill everything, something warm and accepting. 

“I don’t want to take over after my father. I… I don’t think I’m meant to… I know I have to do this for the people–– Hoseok would be a better choice, and I know I’m the oldest, but–– Am I being selfish?” Daehyun finally looks up at Himchan, searching for an answer. 

And immediately, he regrets it because he can already see it in Himchan’s eyes. The disapproval. The judgment. The advice that’s inevitable. The–– “It’s a heavy burden to carry. I understand if you don’t want to.”

That’s not what Daehyun is expecting. He slumps against his chair, looking back into the water.

Himchan sits back down in the chair, taking Daehyun’s hands into his own. “You’re so incredibly privileged, but I’m not about to downplay your struggle. You’re paying a price for this life, and I’m sorry. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”

Daehyun feels hot tears well up in his eyes. He wants to hold it back, but his vision grows blurry. He blinks, and suddenly, he’s crying, his tears leaving hot, wet trails down his cheeks. His breath hitches because suddenly it’s a little too much. Suddenly, his life is put into perspective, and he doesn’t feel ready. He doesn’t think he’ll ever feel ready.

Himchan circles around the counter to pull Daehyun into his arms. And it isn’t a mother’s touch by any means, but Himchan’s arms envelope him in warmth, and he immediately feels comforted. Everything he’s been told to hold back begins to bubble to the surface, bursting through the forefront of his mind until he’s shaking, his hands coming up to Himchan’s back and gripping his shirt the only thing keeping him anchored to reality.

“What if I can’t do it?” Daehyun whispers into the crook between Himchan’s neck and shoulder. “What if I’m not good enough?”

“You are. You’re strong enough. You’ll be able to do it,” Himchan replies, rubbing his fingers through Daehyun’s hair. “You’re always stronger than you know.”

Daehyun bites his bottom lip to muffle his sobs, but he can’t hold back the tremors that wrack his body. He’s a little sober than before, but he still smells like four glasses of whiskey, and he’s grateful for Himchan letting him have this moment.

//

Daehyun wakes up the next morning in his bed with a splitting headache. Bright sunlight pours in through the massive window, blinding and stiflingly hot. He groans as he grabs the remote off his bedside table to dim the windows. He stares at the ceiling as the room grows dimmer. With a sigh, he heaves himself out of bed, swinging his legs over the edge, feeling his senses slowly coming back to his body.

HIs phone lights up on its charging dock, and he looks at it. The first notification––of many, it looks like––is from a news article. The title reads _Interplanetary Romance or Alliance: Jung Heir and Prince of Tellus 2 Announce Marriage_ , and he groans again as he falls back into his bed.

But the people have questions, and he has to answer them.

Daehyun gets ready to face the world outside, and heads to his father’s office.

“Are you sober now?” Daehyun’s father asks as soon as Daehyun walks through the door. “The people want answers.”

“And I’m here to ask you for them,” Daehyun replies, keeping his hands locked behind his back. “I’d like Youngjae and my stories to match up.”

Daehyun’s father glances up at him, places his tablet down, and smiles. “Good man, but you don’t have to worry about that. We’ll have a formal dinner in a few days’ time for a more official announcement.”

Daehyun wants to groan, but he refuses to look like a whining pissbaby in front of his father any longer, so he keeps it in and nods. As much as he loves attending social events, he doesn’t like it when he’s at the center of the event. Maybe it could be better with Youngjae with him.

//

It doesn’t go better with Youngjae. The event has been dragging on for far too long, and he’s just as bored as Daehyun is. They exchange pleasantries with guests and visiting diplomats when appropriate, smiling and responding at the right times, but it feels like everyone is admiring them like they’re expensive decor, the finest china for their fathers to display, and Daehyun hates it. The stares and hushed whispers make him want to run away. 

But this is the price he has to pay for being born into this life. Did he ask for it? No, but he’ll pay it because he has to. 

“I’ve always hated formal dinners,” Youngjae whispers into Daehyun’s ear, the disgust in his voice a stark contrast to the fake smile on his face. “We should leave. They’ll probably think we’re off gallivanting in the gardens.”

Daehyun holds back a snort of laughter, his hand coming up to disguise it as a cough. He smacks Youngjae’s arm lightly as he whispers back, “ _Gallivanting?_ Did you really just use the word _gallivanting_ in a sentence?”

Some people are beginning to glance at them, and Daehyun realizes Youngjae has their arms looped together. 

“They’ll notice if we leave,” Daehyun says. He catches his father and Jaesuk walking across the massive room, flutes of champagne in their hands. “Our fathers especially.”

“Bad publicity is still publicity.” Youngjae leans into Daehyun’s side, nudging Daehyun’s side with his elbow. “Let them think what they want. Our fathers have this under control.”

Daehyun lets out a quiet snort of laughter, ducking his head down and bringing his hand back up to cover his mouth. He takes Youngjae’s hand into his and they dart out of the room before anyone else can notice. Youngjae is cackling, his shoulders trembling against Daehyun’s side as they jog down the hall. Daehyun can’t resist the feeling of excitement in him. He feels like a child again, dragging Himchan or Hoseok behind him, their quiet laughter bouncing against the high walls. 

“We’re finally free,” Youngjae breathes when they’re on the other side of the hall. He looks at Daehyun, his eyes sparkling in the light, bright and excited. “Do you want to head downtown?”

Daehyun blinks. “Right now? Like this?”

Youngjae shrugs, his smile unwavering. “Why not? We’re _gallivanting_ , Daehyun.”

Laughter bubbles up from Daehyun’s throat, and Youngjae’s hand, still wrapped around his own, squeezes his own, and he pulls Youngjae towards the garage. “Let’s go gallivanting then.”

Fifteen minutes later, Daehyun is driving into Albatross, the city’s liveliest district in the city at night. Albatross is infamous as the pleasure capital of the planet. Neon lights flash in the busy streets and distant music pounds from behind club doors around nearly every street corner. People flock to the district as soon as the sun goes down, some for a drink, others for sex.

It’s a nice place to drive around at night, but Daehyun wouldn’t dare walk the same streets.

At the end of the hour, Daehyun and Youngjae end up at a fast food place, still dressed in their stuffy suits, eating greasy burgers and fries in the car. The neon lights from the nearby billboards and street signs filter in through the windows, bathing everything in technicolor. They’re silent except for the crinkling of the burger wrappers.

“There’s something impressive about the persistence of greasy efficiency, even in the destruction of its home world,” Youngjae says before he bites on a french fry. “I don’t know why I didn’t think there’d be a McDonald’s here. I honestly thought it was just a Tellus 2 thing.”

Daehyun snorts. “Don’t underestimate the powers of the Earth’s capitalism. That godforsaken yellow ‘M’ is on every developed planet in the universe.”

Youngjae whistles, somehow both impressed and disgusted at the same time. “What a time to be alive, wouldn’t you say?”

Daehyun hums in agreement, taking a bite of his burger. A shadowed figure begins to approach the car, steps stuttering and not completely straight. Daehyun puts his food down on the central console, eyeing the figure as it emerges into a small circle of light. Homeless, judging by the dirtiness of his clothes. Intoxicated, judging by the tilted cant in his walk.

“I heard there was some royalty slummin’ it up in Albatross,” the man says, his muffled voice still coming in loud through the walls of the car. 

Daehyun should have known better than to take Youngjae here. He locks the doors, his hand hovering above the ignition. 

The man knocks on the hood of the car with a frown. “You got some debts to repay, Jung! There are people who gave their _lives_ for your family. We’re _done_ being treated like trash!”

Daehyun really regrets taking Youngjae here. Several other people have begun to notice. The man moves from the hood to Daehyun’s door, pulling on the handle several times before pounding on the window.

“Answer us, Jung! We demand to be seen!”

“Just drive away,” Youngjae says, taking another bite of his burger, and when Daehyun gives him a shocked glance, he points a single finger at the man. “He’s drunk out of his mind. What harm can he really do?”

The man reaches into the back of his pants and pulls out a gun, pointing it at the window. “Jung! You’ve taken _enough_ from us!”

“Drive away _now_ ,” Youngjae says. He shakes Daehyun’s arm. “ _Fuck,_ Daehyun, what are you doing?! We have to _go_!”

Everything is suddenly in sharp, jarring clarity. Daehyun pushes the ignition and backs out of the lot. The man holds onto the handle for as long as he can, but eventually falls to the ground. Daehyun is already on the main street. His hands are shaking. He can’t stop thinking about the gun pointed at his head. The car is bulletproof for a reason, but he keeps imagining the bullet embedding itself in his skull. He suddenly isn’t hungry anymore.

The ride back to the estate is quiet.

When they’re back in the garage and the car’s engine buzzes to a stop, Daehyun leans back in his seat with a sigh. “Well, that was an experience.”

“Probably enough for one night,” Youngjae replies, breathing out a shaky laugh. He runs his hand through his hair, the strands naturally falling back into place.

And Daehyun realizes that Youngjae, despite his calm and collected exterior and prestigious family name, is just as human as everyone else. Just as scared as Daehyun.

They get out of the car, and Daehyun throws out the bag of unfinished food. He begins walking, then raises an eyebrow when Youngjae links their arms together. He feels the slightest tremor against his side when Youngjae falls into step beside him.

“Is this okay?” Youngjae whispers.

Daehyun tilts his head, finding the dust of pink on Youngjae’s face a little endearing. “Yeah. It’s fine.”

“Thanks,” Youngjae says, and Daehyun is grateful for the touch because he didn’t realize how much he needs this too.

The halls are silent except for Daehyun and Youngjae’s steps on the marble tile. If he listens carefully, he can almost hear the chatter from the massive room they escaped nearly an hour ago. For now, they’re content with wandering the halls because they almost got shot while in a bulletproof car by a drunk man.

They’re a little shaken, if Daehyun is being honest.

When they round a corner, Yongguk is there, an eyebrow raised. “I’ve been wondering where you two went.”

Daehyun’s whole body freezes. Yongguk stares at them, slowly crossing his arms over his chest like a parent waiting––almost impatiently––for an answer. The furrow in his brow seems to say _“Well, what are you waiting for?”_ and Daehyun is too tense to answer. Too afraid of what Yongguk will think if he tells the truth.

Why is he so afraid?

“We just went downtown,” Youngjae replies easily, removing his arm from Daehyun’s to put his hands in his pockets. “We were bored.”

Yongguk sighs. “You’re lucky your fathers haven’t noticed yet.”

Daehyun isn’t surprised. With a gathering this large, it’d be hard to keep track of him and Youngjae. 

“Just don’t go anywhere else tonight, alright?” Yongguk says.“You better head back in there.”

“Yes, sir.” Youngjae straightens and salutes before linking his arm with Daehyun’s again.

Yongguk’s stare lingers on Daehyun like he can see right into Daehyun’s mind, subdued concern shimmering in his eyes. Like he can see what happened in Daehyun’s own. 

//

It’s late––early morning, if he were to be technical––and Daehyun can’t sleep. The void is still there in the hum, even after all this time, and it’s been in the back of his mind, persistent and annoying like the missing beat of a song. He slips the blanket off his body and begins walking to Yongguk’s room. His socked feet make quiet pats against the tile as he swears to figure out why Yongguk’s room specifically is the void. Before he can knock on Yongguk’s door, though, he hears Yongguk talking, hushed and agitated.

“––complicated, I… _Lieutenant Moon_ , I will _not_ have you speak to me in that manner. We have to be patient…” Yongguk lets out a noise that sounds like something between a sigh and groan. “I _refuse_ to let this be fucked up by poor planning.” He’s quiet for several heartbeats before he speaks again. “I’ll talk to you again when I have more updates. Good night.”

Daehyun gulps. He waits with his breath held, his knuckles hovering above the door. In the time that it takes him to choose between knocking or leaving, he can hear Yongguk move around in his room, his soft shuffling footsteps, the rustling of clean sheets.

Daehyun decides to knock on the door. He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, biting his bottom lip, wondering if he did the right thing. He begins to turn away when Yongguk pulls the door open. 

“Hey,” Daehyun says, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

“Hello,” Yongguk replies, leaning against the door with his hands in his pockets.

“Sorry, did… Did I wake you?” Daehyun asks. He knows he wasn’t, but it’s polite to ask. He also needs something else to distract his mind from the conversation he overheard. 

It’s suspicious, but Yongguk is standing in front of him, wire-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, a small, curious smile playing on the corner of his lips. 

“You’re not. Can I help you with anything?” Yongguk says. 

“I wanted…to talk to you.” Daehyun glances from side to side, but there’s no one else in the hall. It’s just them. “Is that okay?”

Yongguk steps aside, holding the door open a little wider, and Daehyun takes that as an invitation, and takes a hesitant step inside. Yongguk closes the door, the lock sliding into the jamb quietly. A closed laptop sits on the desk with little else revealing anything to Daehyun. A military uniform hangs on the wardrobe door, clean and neatly pressed. 

Daehyun realizes that the electric hum isn’t even in the room, engulfing them in complete silence. It’s unnerving. Too quiet. 

Yongguk walks to the small table by the window and sits in one of the chairs, nodding to the other one across from him. Daehyun gulps, suddenly feeling a lot more trapped than before. He sits down anyway.

“What happened when you two went downtown?” Yongguk suddenly asks. 

And Daehyun should have known better. Yongguk is too perceptive for Daehyun to think he could come in here without being asked that.

Daehyun shakes his head. “Nothing happened. We just got food.“

Yongguk tilts his head, and Daehyun looks down at his lap. He wants to tell Yongguk everything because the look in his eyes is full of that same subdued concern as before. “You can tell me.”

“Someone almost shot us,” Daehyun whispers, glancing up to gauge Yongguk’s reaction, and his stomach sinks when Yongguk’s eyes flare with anger. “But, I mean, it’s fine. Our cars are bulletproof, so we––“

“You almost got _shot_ ,” Yongguk echoes. He leans forward, his palms laid flat on the table.

Daehyun leans back as if in instinct. “The cars are bulletproof… I know it’s your job to protect us, but we got out fine, commander. We’re still here. We’re still alive.”

Yongguk grits his teeth. “That’s not the _point_.”

“What is it, then?” Daehyun asks, furrowing his brows. 

“My point––” Yongguk looks down, then back up into Daehyun’s eyes, calmer. He’s pulled his emotions back under control, and it frustrates Daehyun to see Yongguk like this, struggling to hide everything he’s feeling. He stands up to walk to Daehyun’s side, and Daehyun turns his body to face Yongguk. “––is that I also want this to mean something.”

Yongguk sinks to his knees, taking Daehyun’s hands into his own, his head falling between Daehyun’s knees. Daehyun removes one of his hands from Yongguk’s to lift Yongguk’s chin, and he’s surprised to see the sincerity in his eyes, so complete and unrestrained in its entirety.

It’s the most emotion Daehyun has seen come from Yongguk. His breath catches in his throat.

And suddenly, Daehyun understands what the point is. The point they keep dancing around. Their point of intersection at which they will never meet again. The point… Is that they shouldn’t be doing this, but at this point in time, in a room quiet enough to hear their heartbeats racing to meet each other, they won’t let this pass them by. Not again.

Daehyun leans forward, bringing Yongguk up a little higher, and stops before their lips can touch, his eyes searching Yongguk’s for any sort of doubt or hesitation. 

“Are you sure?” Daehyun whispers. 

When Yongguk nods, Daehyun barely sees it. He feels the slightest dip in Yongguk’s chin, feels Yongguk squeeze his hand around Daehyun’s. “Are you?”

When their lips meet, the first thing Daehyun notices is the sour, foreign taste on his lips. It’s slow and something he wants to keep burned in his mind forever. He wants to keep Yongguk to himself, every single part that makes him up, but the way Yongguk wraps his arm around Daehyun’s waist, lifting him up out of the chair, lights Daehyun’s insides on fire, makes him want to consume all of Yongguk, all at once. His hands come up to grip Yongguk’s shirt, his legs automatically wrapping around Yongguk’s middle.

Yongguk pulls away first, his breaths coming out in heaves. He leans his forehead against Yongguk’s, and he feels a familiar heat pooling in him. Yongguk carries him to the desk, setting him down on the surface, and placing his hands on both sides of Daehyun’s hips. 

“You’re so beautiful,” Yongguk whispers between the kisses he places along the line of Daehyun’s jaw. 

Daehyun can only focus on breathing. His mind jumps between Yongguk’s touch and the fact that they’re actually doing this. Every point of contact is charged with a burning electricity that’s hot to the touch. When Yongguk reaches Daehyun’s collarbone, Daehyun leans his neck back, his hands coming up to wrap around Yongguk’s neck. 

“You’re exquisite,” Yongguk keeps saying, and Daehyun can’t take it.

He grabs onto both sides of Yongguk’s face, pulling him up, and surges forward. Their next kiss is less graceful, rushed, a sloppy collision of a kiss, but the way Yongguk pushes back like he’s chasing after Daehyun’s taste makes Daehyun whimper into it. He pulls back to breathe, and Yongguk ducks his head down. 

“What’s wrong?” Daehyun asks as he brings one of his hands up to tangle in the soft hairs behind Yongguk’s neck.

Yongguk is silent for a beat, his breaths slowing down, and Daehyun feels doubt creep back into his mind. He looks up into Daehyun’s eyes again, the emotions swirling and indiscernible.

“All things end, Daehyun. What we’re doing… This… This isn’t something that’s meant to last. Especially with our positions.” Yongguk pulls Daehyun closer, gentle enough that Daehyun can pull away if he wants to, but he doesn’t. Yongguk rests his head against Daehyun, his breath hot against the juncture between his neck and shoulder. “But right now… Right now, I want to stay in this moment for as long as I can. Please.”

And who is Daehyun to deny that? From the moment humans are born, they are alone, separated from their mother, and longing for that intimate touch with another human until the day they die. Daehyun sees loneliness in Yongguk’s frame, not battle-hardened, but trembling and almost scared, a boy suddenly and completely alone crying out for his mother.

Daehyun wraps his arms around Yongguk’s neck, pulling him closer. Emotions may be weakness, but it doesn’t feel like that when he has Yongguk here with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're getting somewhere. fucking finally.


	5. Chapter 5

Daehyun could wax poetic about the way Yongguk moves, but Daehyun isn’t nearly artistic enough to capture the fluidity, the power, the dignity, that Yongguk carries himself with. Yongguk is a walking paradox, a set of contrasting factors that make him whole. He is the strength and vitality flowing through a tumultuous ocean, pulling Daehyun under until he can’t breathe. He is the placid quiet in a lake so still, it’s like Daehyun is looking into a mirror. He is the gemstone formed in the mantle of the planet, emerging bright and radiant through a process made to break everything else. He is the supernova in the far off reaches of the universe, too brilliant and unfathomable in his destruction to be understood through human means.

Daehyun isn’t artistic enough to properly capture the valleys and mountain ranges of Yongguk’s body, the light bouncing off the shimmering obsidian in Yongguk’s pupils, or the coarse rumble of his voice pressing against Daehyun in the hours where time doesn’t feel real.

He traces the lines in Yongguk’s back with his fingertips, mesmerized by the way his body shifts with every breath. Yongguk moves, groaning as he turns his body to face Daehyun, and Daehyun pulls back, waiting for Yongguk to settle down. Instead, Yongguk opens his eyes, blinking the sleep away.

“Hey,” Yongguk whispers with a sigh. “What time is it?”

“A little past 2,” Daehyun replies, moving his hand to card through Yongguk’s messy hair. “Go back to sleep. I’ll head out in a bit.”

Yongguk hums, leaning into Daehyun, and closes his eyes again.

But for all his rough edges and stony facade, Yongguk is also the flower petals in spring, the blossoming signs of renewal and a rebirth after a season of death.

They know this isn’t meant to last forever. Daehyun can’t completely give himself to Yongguk because he can’t bear to see Yongguk go through the same thing Seokjin did. And he knows Yongguk is thinking the same thing, to an extent. They have their reservations. If they want this to mean something, they have to know that they aren’t supposed to want it in the first place. 

They know that these petals are just as fleeting as they are beautiful.

Daehyun slips out of Yongguk’s bed, pressing a kiss against his temple. He finds and puts on his clothes before leaving the room. It’s easier this way when no one else is awake, when no one can see him and make any assumptions, when the sun can’t shine on their sins just yet. 

//

Daehyun nods to Yongguk in greeting, keeping his eyes carefully fixed on Youngjae as he walks towards them in the morning. He can still feel Yongguk’s teeth on his skin, the mark hidden beneath his clothes.

“I hope you’re ready to do some wedding planning,” Daehyun says, nudging Youngjae’s side with a grin. 

“You bet I am,” and Daehyun snickers at the dripping sarcasm in Youngjae’s voice. “Apparently, our fathers want to model the ceremony after an Earth wedding.” He frowns as he falls into step beside Daehyun. “Don’t know why they can’t plan it themselves if they’re so keen on the details.”

“It’s all about keeping up appearances.” Daehyun links arms with Youngjae as they make their way to one of the common rooms. He glances back at Yongguk, his smile slipping into something mischievous. “Isn’t that right, commander?”

Yongguk raises an eyebrow, a small smile beginning to grow on his lips, but he bites it back when Youngjae looks back as well. “It’s a fair point, sir.”

The first person they meet is an events coordinator. She’s all smiles and excitable gestures with a tablet in hand. She walks them through the process of what was considered a traditional Earth wedding, complete with the vows and the general aesthetic they should aim for. By the time she’s done talking, Daehyun thinks it’s a little over the top. One glance at Youngjae tells him that Youngjae is thinking the exact opposite.

“It sounds lovely,” Youngjae says. “Is there anything specific we should include for the ceremony appearance-wise?”

“That’s the beauty of the ceremony. People generally did whatever they wanted, but they managed to make each one into something beautiful,” she replies. She unlocks her tablet and brings up several photos to show Daehyun and Youngjae. “You’re free to do what you want.”

The second person they meet is one of the estate’s head chefs. She shows them menus for the reception dinner following the ceremony. Each dish is lavish and extravagant and somehow exactly what Daehyun was expecting from a meal for their wedding.

The third person takes their measurements for their suits. The fourth person shows them several bouquets of flowers for the decoration. The fifth person takes them to the venue where they’ll be married and goes over the layout.

“How many people are we looking at for the ceremony?” Daehyun suddenly asks, looking up from the blueprint of the venue.

Youngjae tilts his head. “Your father didn’t tell you? They agreed on at least a couple thousand from the immediate planets and Tellus 2.”

Daehyun _does_ vaguely remember his father going over something like that, but he must not have been listening. “Sorry. Must have slipped my mind.”

“Nobody really forgets a couple thousand guests to his own wedding,” Youngjae says as his eyebrows furrow in concern. “Are you okay?”

_To his own wedding_. 

Daehyun takes a deep breath, taking a step back from everything. “I’m just a little tired… Excuse me, I have to go outside for a moment.”

Youngjae begins to go after Daehyun, but he holds back, and gives Daehyun a reassuring smile instead. “Take your time.”

As soon as the words are out of Youngjae’s mouth, Daehyun is walking to the balcony. He throws the curtain aside, stepping out into the crisp air and taking a deep breath. The venue really is amazing with its rose garden and marble pillars, but it’s too much. He’s one step–– _several_ steps––closer to his wedding now. He paces the length of the balcony, trying to even out his breaths. 

Too much, too fast. 

“It’s a little boring, don’t you think?”

Daehyun spins around, his heartbeat spiking for a moment. Yongguk stands in between the massive pillars, the curtains gently pushed aside. Behind him, Youngjae glances up from the blueprint at them. 

“There are people watching, commander,” Daehyun warns before turning his back to Yongguk.

“He’s just worried about you,” Yongguk replies. He lets the curtain fall back into place and he joins Daehyun’s side by the railing. “You’ve been uncharacteristically quiet today.”

Daehyun shrugs. “Guess I’m not into wedding planning as much as Youngjae is.” He does feel bad for letting Youngjae handle everything, though.

“Is there something bothering you?” Yongguk asks. He’s a few feet out of Daehyun’s personal space, just enough to be considered normal, but Daehyun wants to reach out. Feel the warmth radiating off Yongguk’s skin.

“It’s nothing.” Daehyun shakes his head. He can’t get into it. Not now. Not when there’s so many people here watching them. He looks at Yongguk with a smile. “You don’t have to worry about me, commander.”

“I still am, though,” Yongguk whispers before he turns to head back inside.

Daehyun takes a deep breath. He’s wallowed enough in a corner. Time to face the fact that he has his marriage to plan. He walks back inside, his smile as fake as his enthusiasm.

//

“What was bothering you today?” Yongguk asks that night, his arms coming up to wrap around Daehyun’s waist. 

“I don’t know,” Daehyun replies, quiet as he turns in Yongguk’s arms. He can’t look Yongguk in the eye just yet. He feels childish. He sighs, slowly prying Yongguk’s arms off him to sit on the bed. “It’s dumb. I’m dumb. I just… It’s all happening so fast. I can’t possibly be ready to rule over an entire nation.”

Yongguk sits next to Daehyun, his body pressing a single line of warmth in his side. “We never feel like we’re ready for change. It’s a natural response.” He pauses for a moment, leaning back against his hands and looking up at the ceiling. “But, no matter what anyone tells you, you won’t think any different, will you?”

Daehyun looks at Yongguk, who turns his head, his eyes understanding. “True.”

“You don’t have to do it, you know,” Yongguk suddenly says. He places a hand on Daehyun’s leg, his thumb rubbing small circles on the thigh. 

Daehyun blinks, his eyebrows furrowing. “What?”

“You don’t have to do it,” Yongguk repeats, squeezing Daehyun’s thigh. “Your entire life doesn’t have to be about just being an heir.”

“But it is,” Daehyun replies. All his life, he’s been told that the responsibility of the nation will rest on his shoulders once his father passes. All his life, he’s been preparing for that inevitability. “I _have_ to rule this nation just like my father and the people entrust me to do.”

Yongguk sighs, grabbing onto Daehyun’s elbow and pulling him into his lap. “Your life isn’t defined by what you were destined for, or who tells you what to do. It’s how you choose to live it.”

Daehyun settles into Yongguk’s lap, wrapping his arms around his neck. “I don’t exactly have a choice, though. This is _right now_. I can’t just run away from my responsibilities to my _people_. There are expectations I have to meet.”

“But right now, it’s just us. How do you choose to live your life in this exact moment?” Yongguk asks. His hands come up to grip Daehyun’s hips, his hands searing Daehyun’s skin through the thin fabric.

“What do you think I choose, _commander_?” Daehyun asks, rolling his hips against Yongguk’s because for all the times he gets lost in his own thoughts, he’s gotten pretty good at compartmentalizing and shoving every useless thought he’s had to the side.

Yongguk’s eyebrows raise, and Daehyun can feel Yongguk’s fingers twitch. “Oh.”

Something shifts in Yongguk’s eyes, a spark that sets Daehyun’s insides ablaze. Yongguk leans forward to catch Daehyun’s lips in his own. Yongguk’s hands travel up Daehyun’s back beneath his shirt, his fingers leaving blazing trails of heat along Daehyun’s skin. Daehyun arches into Yongguk’s body, his reaction immediately instinctual. 

Something doesn’t feel right.

Daehyun pulls back, removing Yongguk’s hands from his body and holding onto his wrists. “Are _you_ okay?”

Yongguk shakes his head. He moves his hands to intertwine with Daehyun’s fingers. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Daehyun wants to say more, but Yongguk is already nipping at the skin at Daehyun’s neck, gentle enough to not leave a mark, but enough for Daehyun to want him to keep going. Yongguk’s hands go to the hem of Daehyun’s shirt, tugging it, looking up into Daehyun’s eyes, silently asking _Is this okay?_ Daehyun groans, removing his shirt himself.

“ _Yes_ , please, fuck, Yongguk,” Daehyun tosses his shirt behind him, and pushes Yongguk into the bed. He presses his entire body down into Yongguk’s, leaning an elbow into the sheets. He runs his free hand up the back of Yongguk’s head, tugging on the strands and rolling his hips down again into Yongguk’s. 

Yongguk is solid beneath Daehyun, but ultimately pliant like molten lava in Daehyun’s fingertips. He moves where Daehyun directs him to, responds how Daehyun likes to the slightest touch. But then Yongguk growls, sending a shot of heat straight to Daehyun’s core, and flips them over. He pauses for a moment, his breaths coming out short. His eyes run down Daehyun’s body, and he licks his lips before looking back up into Daehyun’s eyes.

“Fuck, you’re so beautiful,” Yongguk whispers, leaning down. 

Kissing Yongguk, Daehyun finds out, is like trying to find solace in the middle of an ocean. He envelopes Daehyun in warmth, drowning him until there’s nothing left to think about. Daehyun struggles to stay afloat, but Yongguk is the siren singing out to him and pulling him under.

Yongguk pulls up for breath, pressing his forehead against Daehyun’s, his eyes hooded and dark. 

“I think I love you.”

Daehyun’s breath catches in his throat and his hands twist in Yongguk’s shirt. He stares at Yongguk, who looks just as surprised as Daehyun by the words that spilled from his mouth. Yongguk tenses, his eyes wide and searching Daehyun’s for any sort of response, and Daehyun can only do what he thinks is appropriate. He pulls Yongguk back down into another kiss, the need to open his mouth burning him up from the inside out. He bites on Yongguk’s bottom lip, reveling in the low groan that reverberates deep from Yongguk’s throat. Yongguk’s hand comes up to cup Daehyun’s jaw, his thumb brushing against the side of Daehyun’s cheek, and it’s so soft, so incredibly _gentle_ that Daehyun’s head is spinning. Yongguk tilts Daehyun’s head up, pushing in a little deeper, a little filthier, until Daehyun can’t take it anymore.

He has to pull back to gasp for air, his eyes flying open, but he can only get far enough to pant against Yongguk’s open mouth. And suddenly, the hand cupping his jaw is beside his ear as Yongguk leans back down to kiss him again, blindly chasing the taste of his lips. 

Yongguk’s free hand travels down Daehyun’s body, mapping each dip and curve with his fingertips, until he reaches the waistband of Daehyun’s pants. He pulls away to press wet, open-mouthed kisses against Daehyun’s skin, each kiss like a searing brand. Daehyun’s hands automatically curl in Yongguk’s hair, careful not to grip too tightly the lower Yongguk goes.

“Me too,” Daehyun gasps before Yongguk can go any further.

Yongguk stops, and Daehyun’s hands fall to his shoulders, fingertips trembling and heartbeat pounding through every part of him. 

Yongguk looks up, blinking and unsure. “What?”

Daehyun takes a deep breath and looks straight into Yongguk’s eyes. “I love you, too.”

//

“––too dangerous already. You can’t risk the variability of the––“

Daehyun turns in the bed, letting the covers slide off his shoulders, as he blinks his eyes open. Yongguk stands by his desk, his phone at his ear and his lips pressed into a tight line. He grits his teeth before speaking in a tense whisper.

“What do you mean, _complications?_ What’s going on in Tellus 2?” Yongguk closes his eyes and rubs the bridge of his nose. 

“Yongguk?” Daehyun whispers, beginning to sit up. “Is something wrong?”

Yongguk’s eyes snap open, and he’s at Daehyun’s side in an instant. “Dae–– It’s fine. Go back to sleep.” He presses a kiss against Daehyun’s temple, gently urging him back into the bed.

Before Daehyun can say anything else, Yongguk steps into the bathroom to continue his phone call. Daehyun stares the bathroom door, trying to listen to Yongguk regardless. Is he going to think twice before pressing an ear against the wall adjacent to the bathroom? No. Is it wrong? Most definitely.

“Shut the _fuck_ up, Lieutenant Moon, that is an _order_ ,” Yongguk hisses. 

Daehyun swears he can hear distant tinny screaming laughter coming from the phone.

“ _Lieutenant Moon_ ,” Yongguk says. The phone goes silent. “Tell me what’s going on.”

Yongguk is silent for another moment before speaking again, but he’s too quiet for Daehyun to pick up anything else. He slides back into bed before Yongguk can catch him eavesdropping.

Daehyun swears he closed his eyes for only a minute. When he opens his eyes again, soft blue-gray sunlight spills from beneath the curtains. He takes a deep breath, stretching his arms above his head. Yongguk burrows his head into Daehyun’s side, his arm falling heavy atop Daehyun’s chest.

“Not yet,” Yongguk mutters into Daehyun’s chest, and Daehyun is struck with such a strong feeling of fondness for the way Yongguk curls into him.

Daehyun smiles at Yongguk’s head, his hand coming down stroke his hair. He wouldn’t mind staying with Yongguk like this in an eternal morning. He gasps, his eyes shooting open.

“Yongguk.” Daehyun hits Yongguk’s arm, which earns him a grunt in response. “Yongguk, get _up_. It’s _morning_ , and I’m still _here_.”

Yongguk shoots up, rubbing his eyes and groaning. “Oh _shit_. What do we do?”

Daehyun jumps out of the bed. People start waking up and working by 6 at the earliest, but it’s easily 8 right now just by the way the sun is slanting in beneath the curtains. He begins finding his clothes and putting them on. He’s panicking. He doesn’t know what to do. He begins pacing the room.

“It’s… Uh… Fuck. Yongguk. I can’t just leave. People are going to _see_ ,” Daehyun stutters. He runs his hands through his hair. He draws in a deep breath to calm himself down. 

“Dae–– Daehyun.” Yongguk reaches out for Daehyun’s arm, grabbing onto his wrist to stop him. “You need to calm down. It’ll be fine…”

“It _won’t?_ I don’t know what I’m going to _do_ when people see me come out of _your_ room in _yesterday’s_ clothes?” Daehyun whispers. He stands above Yongguk in between his knees, his hands in Yongguk’s. “People are going to see, and they’ll find out, and… My father… He’ll––“

It begins in a spiral. Daehyun holds onto Yongguk’s hands, and he knows he’s being unreasonable, but if his father does find out, there’s something worse waiting for Yongguk than getting sent back to Tellus 2. 

“Daehyun,” Yongguk says again, his voice a little sterner than before, and Daehyun gulps, his focus snapping to Yongguk. “Calm down. We can think of something. It will be _okay_.”

Daehyun takes a deep breath, letting Yongguk’s tight grip anchor him back down. It _will_ be okay as long as he can just think clearly about this. He leans forward into Yongguk, fighting to slow his racing heartbeat.

“We have to be more careful. You could _die_ if my father finds out. I can’t let that happen to you.” Daehyun lets out a shaking breath. In a whisper quieter than the rushing in his ears, he sighs, “Not you too.”

Yongguk’s hands come up to Daehyun’s shoulders, his thumbs rubbing circles. “I won’t. Daehyun, it’s not as bad as you think.”

Daehyun brings his bottom lip in between his teeth. Yongguk doesn’t understand. He doesn’t know what Seokjin went through. “It is because I know. I’ve done this before.”

Yongguk’s eyes widen, but he’s silent, almost like he’s waiting for Daehyun to continue.

Daehyun pulls away, and he’s back to pacing the length of the room. “I know that sounds bad, but I… I did this before with an officer on the guard, and… Fuck, sorry, I shouldn’t have even…” He stops pacing to look at Yongguk again. “My father killed him. He gave him a defective laser blade. It… It killed him as soon as he activated it. And I should have known better than to become involved with you, but I just…”

Yongguk stands up and immediately wraps Daehyun into his arms. Daehyun’s breath is knocked out of him. He fights to keep his composure, but Yongguk is warm and comforting and a million other things Daehyun didn’t know he needed before.

“You were never given time to mourn him, were you?” Yongguk whispers.

“I didn’t feel like I had the right to. It’s my fault he’s dead,” Daehyun replies, his voice shaky and on the verge of breaking.

“It’s not,” Yongguk says. His words are warm and smooth like honey against Daehyun’s skin. “He chose to stay with you despite the risks.”

Daehyun wants to pull away, the urge to protect Yongguk growing greater with each passing second, but he can’t. Yongguk is too warm.

“I am too.” Yongguk looks into Daehyun’s eyes. “I’m choosing to stay with you too.”

“Thank you,” Daehyun says, his hands gripping Yongguk’s shirt. “But what the _fuck_.”

Yongguk smiles, large and gummy and reassuring. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”

And for a relieving second, Daehyun believes him. He finds himself smiling back, weak but still something like a smile.

A knock on the door breaks the silence. “Commander?”

Daehyun stares at the door, the panic beginning to slip back into him again. Yongguk begins ushering him into the bathroom.

“Deep breaths, okay? It’ll be fine,” Yongguk says before pulling the door closed, and Daehyun is left staring at himself in the mirror hanging on the door.

“Commander, are you in there?” the voice says again.

“Just one more minute, please,” Yongguk replies. He opens the door. “Yes, sir?”

“Sleeping in, commander? That’s not like you.” From the cheekiness, Daehyun can tell it’s Youngjae. There’s a pause before he speaks again. “Dark circles? Have you been sleeping well?”

“I’ve just been working. Nothing to worry about, sir,” Yongguk says. “Was there something you needed?”

Youngjae makes a noise that seems to convey a general _I don’t know_ , but he says quickly after, “I was looking for Daehyun to discuss some details about the ceremony, but I can’t find him. His attendant doesn’t seem to know where he is either. I was going to ask if you’ve seen him, but you’re still here, so I’m guessing not…”

“Oh. It’s a big estate. He’ll turn up eventually.”

Youngjae hums. There’s another lapse in silence. “Well, I’ll keep looking for him. Thank you, commander.”

“I’ll join you as soon as I’m ready,” Yongguk says and closes the door.

Daehyun cracks open the bathroom door, his eyes wide. “Is it safe?”

Yongguk nods. He begins getting dressed. “We better leave soon. Youngjae is looking for you.”

“Yeah, I heard.”

Daehyun scrubs his face and groans into his hands. This is too stressful and he isn’t even married yet. But he thinks about the way Yongguk gripped his hands, tight and reassuring, and how Yongguk looked into his eyes like he was determined to erase all the worries in Daehyun’s mind. 

And it gives Daehyun a little hope. There’s something about Yongguk’s presence that’s immediately calming.

“I’ll look outside, and–– Daehyun?” Yongguk asks, going to stand in front of Daehyun. “What’s wrong?”

Daehyun shakes his head. “It’s nothing. Just thinking.”

Yongguk smiles and presses his lips against Daehyun’s temple.

//

“You have dark circles under your eyes, too?”

Daehyun leans away from Youngjae, his hands automatically coming up to stop Youngjae from coming any closer. Youngjae is frowning, but he looks genuinely concerned instead of suspicious. Yongguk gives Daehyun a shrug and apologetic look when Daehyun glances at him.

“I’ll admit…I’ve been having trouble sleeping,” Daehyun says, and he tries to convince himself that it’s not a complete lie. “Just some worries about the wedding.”

Youngjae frowns. “Do you want to talk about it? I know it’s stressful.” He lowers his voice before adding, “I am, too. That’s why I’m so focused on the planning. No room to worry if you’re too busy with everything else.”

It’s been several months already, and Daehyun wonders how Youngjae hasn’t burned out yet. 

“But seriously, if you’re having trouble, would you like to talk about it?” Youngjae blinks, suddenly realizing something. “I mean… Only if you want to? I know you have your attendant and all…”

Daehyun smiles, but before he can say anything else to Youngjae, his phone buzzes. He frowns, pulling it out of his pocket to see a text from his father. 

_I have to talk to you and Youngjae. Please come into my office._

Daehyun and Youngjae look at each other, both equally clueless. When they reach Daehyun’s father’s office, Daehyun can’t keep the nervous bubbling out of his stomach. He thinks back to this morning, and while no one saw him come out of Yongguk’s room, he can’t stop wondering if his father still _somehow_ saw.

“Good morning, father,” Daehyun says.

Youngjae bows in greeting. “Good morning, sir.”

Daehyun’s father nods at the both of them. “Jaesuk and I have decided to postpone your wedding. He’s told me that the acid fog is rapidly approaching the capital. Until he has that under control, the wedding will be postponed.”

“I have to go back to Tellus 2,” Youngjae says

Daehyun’s father shakes his head. “Jaesuk said that your safety precedes everything else. You _have_ to stay here.”

“But––“

Daehyun grabs onto Youngjae’s wrist, shaking his head when Youngjae glances back at him. He hopes the look in his eyes tells Youngjae what he wants to say out loud. _Don’t argue with him_.

Youngjae slumps his shoulders, lowering his head in defeat. Daehyun understands Youngjae’s struggle. The need to be with his people versus his safety. 

“That’s all I needed to tell you,” Daehyun’s father says with a wave of his hand.

Daehyun ushers Youngjae out with Yongguk close behind them. As soon as the doors close, Youngjae huffs, crossing his arms atop his chest.

“I should be there for my people,” Youngjae says. 

Yongguk places a hand on Youngjae’s shoulder. “What matters is that you’re safe.”

Youngjae spins around, his glare sharp enough to cut. “No, I _don’t_ deserve to be safe here while my people are at risk. I should be there because it’s only right for me to be.”

Yongguk holds eye contact with Youngjae, unapologetic and refusing to step down. “ _Why_ don’t you deserve to be here? Anyone else in your position would be grateful, but your pride––“

“You forget your place, commander,” Youngjae interrupts. He grits his teeth, turning on his heel and walking down the hall. Before Yongguk and Daehyun can follow behind him, he calls out, “You can stay with Daehyun.”

Yongguk sighs, scratching the back of his head. Daehyun looks to Yongguk and then Youngjae, stuck between choosing one or the other. 

“What was that about?” Daehuyn asks.

“Me forgetting my place,” Yongguk replies, and it’s impossible to not hear the bitterness in his voice. “He doesn’t understand that he’s going to die with a mentality like that. It’s like he has no sense of self-preservation.”

Daehyun stares at Youngjae turn the corner towards the courtyard. “I don’t think that’s necessarily it.” He looks back at Yongguk to see him tilt his head. “What if it’s in solidarity? To support the people who’ve supported him his whole life? How can a prince turn his back on his people in their time of need?”

“But there isn’t anything else he can do,” Yongguk says.

“And that’s why he’s so frustrated. He wants to be there with them, but he’s stuck here.” Daehyun walks towards one of the windows and sees Youngjae sitting on a wire bench with his chin in his hands. “With us. I can’t even imagine what it must feel like to be separated from your family and then find out they could die. It’s a lot…” He turns to Yongguk. “How about you? Aren’t you worried about anyone back on Tellus 2?”

Yongguk is silent for a moment, his gaze falling on Youngjae. “No. Both my parents died and I don’t have any siblings.”

Daehyun hums, unable to find any other suitable response. 

“But… I admit that I was in the wrong,” Yongguk says. “I get too familiar with him sometimes.”

Daehyun gives Yongguk a smile. “That’s not your fault. He’s easy to get along with. Not saying that’s his fault, but… Um, I’ll go talk to him.”

Yongguk smiles back, grateful. Daehyun squeezes Yongguk’s arm before heading down to the courtyard, not caring if his touch lingers a little longer than necessary.

Youngjae doesn’t turn when Daehyun approaches him. “I won’t listen to you unless it’s a formal apology.”

“Will you listen to me?” Daehyun asks. He circles around the bench to face Youngjae and nods to the space beside Youngjae. “May I sit?”

Youngjae doesn’t reply, but he moves to the side, and Daehyun takes the invitation.

“I know it must be hard for you,” Daehyun starts, and he immediately wants to take it back because it’s a stupid way to start this conversation, but he doesn’t have anything else and sitting in silence would be even worse. 

Youngjae lets out a single humorless laugh. “Yeah, no shit.”

“But there isn’t a whole lot you can do while you’re here,” Daehyun continues, and he’s not getting any better. 

“Exactly why I should go.”

“Would your people want you risking your life?” 

Youngjae sits back, looking up at the sky. “It’s the right thing to do, though, isn’t it? I should be there helping them evacuate and providing supplies, but I’m still here. Planning our wedding.”

Daehyun sees the struggle Youngjae faces in his mind. The battle between himself and his people. His selfishness against his people. “Your father is there.”

Youngjae scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Behind the palace walls. I doubt he’s doing much besides delegating recuse teams.”

And Daehyun is stuck. Youngjae’s resolve is too strong. He’s stubborn and refuses to listen anything else. 

Youngjae looks at Daehyun, a wry smile on his face. “Did you know Tellus 2’s pioneers were called insane for wanting to settle on a planet with acid fog? They were nomads for the first couple hundred cycles because they had to keep running from the fog. It was a miracle they survived as long as they did. And then, do you know what else happened?”

Daehyun waits for Youngjae to continue because as much as he thinks this impromptu history lesson is for him, he thinks it’s Youngjae trying to calm himself down, a way to distract himself from the bigger problem. Like he said so earlier, _No room to worry if you’re too busy with everything else_.

“There was a mutation. It wasn’t significant by any means, but it was the first step towards a specific enzyme within our bodies that let us break down the fog into manageable cell types once we come into contact with it. Not many people have this enzyme, myself included, but my older sister was born with it. She’s furthering the research, and they plan to make it injectable for everybody within our lifetime.” Youngjae sighs, looking back up at the sky. “So forgive me for wanting to help out my people. I love my sister, I really do. She’s an amazing woman, but I want to do just as much as her.”

Daehyun doesn’t say anything for a moment because he knows he has to choose his next words carefully. “Do you truly want to help your people or do you just want to step out of your sister’s shadow?”

Anger flares in Youngjae’s eyes for a brief moment, brighter and hotter than a sun, but he managed to hold it back, fizzling it out in seconds. “I guess…you’re ultimately right. I honestly _do_ want to help the people on my planet, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve always felt like she was…the favorite. Not only my parents, but by everyone else, too. She’s going to rule Tellus 2, and my father shipped me off to another planet.” He snaps his head to look at Daehyun, his eyes wide. “I mean, this is a nice planet, regardless.”

Daehyun smiles. “I’m curious, though. Why is your father suddenly interested in a star exploration alliance?”

“He wants to _conquer_ more planets. Said it was our destiny as direct descendants from Earth.” Youngjae shakes his head. “I actually disagree with my father’s idea of ‘exploration’. He claims it’s ‘benevolent assimilation’ like the planet’s native cultures are meant to be reformed to be more like ours instead of us acting according to theirs. How archaic can he get?”

“What’s your definition of ‘exploration’ then?” Daehyun asks. 

Youngjae purses his lips before he speaks. “The exact opposite. I just want to study different cultures and their planets. Like… What are their lives like? How does a planet’s rotation and geography affect their adaptations, be it physical or social or mental? There are so many planets in this universe––so many _cultures_ ––that it’d be a shame to _erase_ them.”

And Daehyun can’t help but be fascinated by Youngjae’s mind, so vast and intelligent in his curiosity. He’s like a sponge, eager to soak up every sort of knowledge that he comes across. Daehyun can see himself in Youngjae, not exactly naive but not yet cynical of the dangers waiting in the universe, and he finds himself growing a little fond.

“It’s hard to sit and do nothing when I’ve been doing that my whole life,” Youngjae sighs. 

Daehyun places his hand on Youngjae’s knee, squeezing once. “You’re already doing what you can for your planet. We can only hope for the best now.”

“You’re right. Thank you for letting me talk.” Youngjae leans into Daehyun’s side, closing his eyes. 

Daehyun hums, shifting his arm to drape over Youngjae’s shoulders. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> disclaimer: i'm not a biology/chemistry oriented person so i apologize for any and all inaccuracies. pls and thank you.


	6. Chapter 6

Youngjae throws himself into wedding planning, and Daehyun and Yongguk have no choice but to follow him as he tackles every task meant for the event planner to take care of. He’s always close behind her, asking her questions as they go back and forth between the venue, suit fittings, meal tastings, and meetings with other planners.

“He’s going to burn himself out,” Daehyun says after a couple weeks. “How has he gone this long without burning out?”

“He has. Burned out, I mean,” Yongguk replies, one hand carding through the still damp strands of Daehyun’s hair and the other holding a book. “He’s gotten pretty good at hiding his breakdowns.”

Daehyun can’t help the way his stomach churns in worry. “That’s…”

“Sad, I know. There isn’t much a person can do if he won’t open himself up,” Yongguk says. There’s a sort of resignation in his voice that doesn’t ease Daehyun’s worry.

Daehyun thinks about the way Youngjae is constantly moving, constantly working, just so he can’t let his thoughts catch up to him. He imagines Youngjae locking himself in his room just for some privacy from the constant attention. He knows how isolating this life can get, and he wants to reach out to Youngjae, but he doesn’t know how.

The wedding is fast approaching, and he barely knows anything about Youngjae. 

But he also realizes that’s not what their marriage is for. Emotional ties have no place in alliances like theirs. 

“Yongguk,” Daehyun suddenly says. He shifts so he’s laying on his back, watching Yongguk’s eyes move from the book to look at him.

Yongguk hums. “Yes?”

Daehyun is anxious. He doesn’t want to get married. He knows Youngjae isn’t ready for it either. He can’t bring himself to stop worrying about Youngjae and Yongguk and all the other people on Tellus 2 surrounded by acid fog. It’s a lot. It’s becoming too much for him to handle, too many new things he hasn’t had the time to get used to yet. “I’m scared.”

Yongguk’s hand in Daehyun’s hair stills as he puts the book on the side table. He brings Daehyun up and looks at him. Daehyun’s breath hitches because despite being an interplanetary diplomat with multiple contacts within the universe, he can’t stop the way his eyes flick around the space above Yongguk’s head, unable to stare too deeply into those obsidian pupils.

Daehyun feels too vulnerable under Yongguk’s gaze, like he can see further into Daehyun than anyone he’s ever met.

“It’s okay,” Yongguk whispers as he brings Daehyun into his arms.

“It’s not,” Daehyun says into the crook between Yongguk’s neck and shoulder, breathing him in, letting himself slowly melt into Yongguk. “I’m really not, Yongguk. how am I supposed to keep this up when I can barely hold myself together? At least Youngjae is better at that.”

“It’s hard to see what’s behind people’s walls,” Yongguk replies, and the circles he rubs into the space between Daehyun’s shoulder blades releases some of the tension. “And I’d say your walls are pretty thick.”

“Thank you, that’s reassuring,” Daehyun mumbles, not knowing how else to react. Yongguk’s phone begins ringing, the ringtone loud in the sudden silence, and the moment is broken. “You should get that.”

Yongguk turns to look at his phone and ignores the call. “Not important.”

They sit in silence for a couple more moments before the phone rings again, somehow sounding more persistent than the first time. Yongguk groans as he pulls himself away from Daehyun to answer it. He heads into the bathroom before answering it.

“What is it, lieutenant?” Yongguk asks before he shuts the door.

And Daehyun lies back down in the soft sheets, pulling the fluffy blanket up to his chest. Even after all the time he’s spent in here, he still can’t get used to the completely still silence of this room. He can almost imagine what it’s like to be absolutely alone, and he hates it. Is this how Youngjae feels in the moments before he breaks down?

Anxious? Restless? Dreading having to face another day of the _same goddamn shit?_

Daehyun realizes that maybe he should stop feeling sorry for himself and take some action. Like finally figuring out why Yongguk’s room is causing that irregular gap in the estate’s electric current. He carefully gets out of bed, and strains his ears to listen to Yongguk talk in the bathroom, but his voice is too hushed for Daehyun to pick up clearly. 

But Daehyun doesn’t even know where to begin looking. He opens the closet, and he hesitates for a second because Yongguk trusts him and what is he doing? Is this really worth the risk of getting caught? And Daehyun begins to think about the gap, the pause in his estate’s electric melody, and how irregular it is and why it’s in _Yongguk’s_ room of all places, and realizes that there _has_ to be a reason behind all that. He begins searching through the hanging uniforms and folded clothes. He quickly looks into the bag, finding not much besides some more clothes. He closes the closet with a sigh.

“Lieutenant, you will _not_ ––“ Yongguk stops himself with a groan that Daehyun can clearly hear through the other side of the door.

Daehyun nearly dives back into the bed, but Yongguk begins talking again. He looks under the bed because Yongguk keeps the room bare and there isn’t even anything on the desk. He doesn’t expect to find a small black box attached to the wall beneath the headboard, partially covered by the blankets hanging off the end. A small button glows blue in the middle, and Daehyun can’t help but reach out. His fingers are barely inches from the surface, but he can already feel the warmth coming from it. There are unfamiliar letters etched on the surface, just beneath the button.

This kind of technology isn’t from here.

Daehyun tentatively presses the button. He holds his breath as he waits for something to happen. The light fades until the space is completely dark. Then, the room fills with that familiar electricity, and the finer hairs on the back of Daehyun’s neck stand up. He hears Yongguk finish up the call, and he quickly sits on the bed just as Yongguk opens the bathroom door. 

“Sorry about that,” Yongguk says. He looks at Daehyun. “Are you leaving?”

“Yeah… I should probably go before I get too tired. Thank you for listening to me.” Daehyun stands up and presses a kiss to the side of Yongguk’s mouth. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Good night, Daehyun,” Yongguk says before Daehyun opens the door.

Daehyun smiles at Yongguk, but he can’t leave fast enough.

When Daehyun returns to his room, he stares at his ceiling, unable to fall asleep. He can’t get that tiny black box out of his mind. Why would it be there? What would Yongguk need it for? He tries to remember what the letters engraved onto the box, trying to place which planet it could have originated from, but he can’t think of any with a similar type of language.

He needs another pair of eyes to look at the letters. If he can get a picture of it, maybe he can send it to Hoseok. He’s visited more planets than Daehyun has. He must have seen _something_ on his travels.

“Bang Yongguk, what exactly are you up to?” Daehyun mutters to the ceiling. 

//

“Security picked up an irregular signal come from inside the estate last night, but it disappeared before we could locate its source,” Daehyun’s father tells them the next day over breakfast. 

Daehyun immediately knows where that signal came from. He’s glad Yongguk is standing behind him and Youngjae because he doesn’t know if he can hide the panic on his face if he looks at Yongguk right now. 

“Is that so?” Daehyun asks, picking up his glass of water. He catches Youngjae glance at him, but he pretends not to see it.

Daehyun’s father waves a hand. “Don’t worry, we’re working on it.”

“What do you think it might be?” Youngjae asks, leaning a little forward, his eyes wide.

“It can’t be anything too serious,” Daehyun’s father replies with a smile, but Daehyun knows that expression.

He’s absolutely lying.

After breakfast, Daehyun decides he needs to distract himself and Youngjae from the security breach because he knows that if he doesn’t, he might slip up. It’s easy enough to follow Youngjae around as he plans. He doesn’t like the uneasiness sitting in the pit of his stomach as Yongguk trails behind them, though.

Youngjae takes Daehyun by the elbow to a colorful wall full of bowties with the tailor beside them in the shop. Daehyun slowly looks up, his eyes trying to take in everything, but it’s…a lot of color for him to take in.

“Matching or complementary colors are the way to go for many weddings. It shows good coordination between you and your partner while also keeping good cohesion with the aesthetics of your ceremony,” the tailor says as he gestures to the wall. “Did you have a specific color in mind?”

“Not really,” Daehyun says at the same time Youngjae says, “Kinda.”

The tailor smiles and turns to Youngjae. “What color?”

Youngjae steps forward and takes a bowtie from the wall, a light yellow almost verging on cream. His thumb brushes against the material with a small smile. “I’ve always liked yellow.” He looks up and back to Daehyun. “If that’s alright with you.”

“It’s a good color. I can wear that,” Daehyun replies. 

“If you’d like, there are other colors you can choose from. Yellow is surprisingly compatible with plenty of other colors,” the tailor says. He walks down the wall, plucking one bowtie after another until he comes back with a handful that he holds out for Daehyun to look at. “Pinks, greens, or white are great for a brighter look. Reds if you’d like a warmer vibe. Black for high contrast. Gray is especially good with Youngjae’s particular choice because of the subtlety and the contrast isn’t as stark as it is with black.”

It’s still a lot, but Daehyun finds himself drawn to gray. He takes the gray bowtie in his hand and turns to Youngjae, who smiles in approval. “We’ll go with these, please.”

“I’ll take these and put them with your suits, then.” The tailor takes the bowties and disappears into the back room.

“What do you think about that signal your father mentioned this morning?” Youngjae whispers.

Daehyun turns to Youngjae, and catches Yongguk’s eye for the briefest moment, and Daehyun swears Yongguk can see right through him, but his face remains stoic as always. “What do you mean?”

“I mean… Do you think there’s someone within your estate planning to do something?” Youngjae continues. He looks worried, but under all that, Daehyun thinks he sees fascination and curiosity.

“Can’t be.” Daehyun shakes his head. Youngjae doesn’t seem to know anything about Yongguk’s box. “It’s probably a glitch in our system. Or one of the towers needs a repair. Security usually has that done by the end of the day.”

Youngjae hums, unsure, and he looks like he’s about to reply, but the tailor comes back out. They have to drop the conversation, but Youngjae’s eyebrows are furrowed in thought. Daehyun won’t be able to keep this a secret if Youngjae is going to keep bringing this up.

Thirty minutes later, they find themselves at a catering business to taste the food to be served during the reception. As the chef leaves to get cake samples from the kitchen, Youngjae leans into Daehyun’s side.

“How exactly do those towers work then?” he asks, and the curious glimmer in his eyes is unmistakeable. 

As they’re scrolling through photos of makeup and hairstyles on a tablet, Youngjae looks a little distracted. He stops scrolling, and Daehyun turns to look at him.

“What about the signal made it appear irregular?” Youngjae eventually asks.

“Why are you so curious about the signal? If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were the one who sent it out and now you’re trying to make sure you didn’t get caught again.” Daehyun means it as a joke, even fully turns to give Youngjae a grin, but his smile falls from his lips when he catches the panicked look on Youngjae’s face. 

“No! That’s not what I–– I’m just a little worried,” Youngjae says quickly, his hands waving in front of his chest in denial. “Also curious… We don’t have barrier technology quite like yours back on Tellus 2.”

“It…was a joke, Youngjae. I didn’t mean to imply anything, sorry.” Daehyun squeezes Youngjae’s shoulder, giving him a weak smile, but now he doesn’t know.

Youngjae shakes his head. “No, you’re probably on high alert right now. I shouldn’t even be giving you reason not to trust me.”

“There isn’t much we can do about it right now. Our security team is working on it,” Daehyun says.

Youngjae nods, his eyes going back down at the tablet in his hands. He points at a makeup style with subtle brown eyeshadow and black liner. “This is a good look, isn’t it? Especially paired with this hair style.”

“Yeah. I think that’d look good on you,” Daehyun replies with an approving smile, and if he sees a pink tint sweep across Youngjae’s cheeks, he doesn’t say anything about it.

//

In the evening, Daehyun excuses himself from the dinner table early. He tells his father he isn’t feeling well, and leaves the large room with a nod to Youngjae and Yongguk. He’s been waiting to do this all day. He strides down the halls to Yongguk’s room. He doesn’t have much time before they finish eating and get ready for the night.

Daehyun reaches the sleeping quarters, and he nods to the servants he passes as he tries to make his way to Yongguk’s room. His heart is pounding in his chest, and his fingers wrapped around his phone are shaking. 

There’s something Yongguk is hiding, and it starts with that box. 

As soon as the hall clears, Daehyun digs around in his pocket for the master key, and easily unlocks Yongguk’s room. He slips inside, immediately looking under the bed for the box. It’s still there, and still turned off. Yongguk must not have realized until this morning, and he hasn’t had a chance to turn it back on. Daehyun quickly snaps a picture of it and crawls out from under the bed. He presses his ear to the door, listening for any movement outside. He can hear some other servants talking just outside, and he almost considers climbing out the window instead. 

Either way, he’s running out of time. He has to leave now.

Daehyun looks to the window, and his stomach churns at the thought of jumping out from this high. Then, he catches a glimpse of the climbing ivy on the side, the leaves peeking just into the window frame. He’s only gone rock climbing with Hoseok indoors, but it has the same mechanics. 

“No, Jung Daehyun, you are _not_ climbing out a window,” Daehyun mutters to himself as he returns to the door. He presses his ear to the door, straining to listen for anything, but it sounds quiet. He takes a deep breath and pulls the door open to peek outside.

Absolutely nothing. 

Daehyun slips out of Yongguk’s room, locks the door, and hurries to his study. 

“Daehyun? What are you doing in the servants’ quarters?”

Daehyun freezes. His blood runs cold through his veins. His legs seize as his mind falls back on _fight or flight_. He turns and comes face to face with Himchan, and he quickly smiles. “Hey, hyung, I was just looking for you.”

Himchan nods. “Yeah, your father told me that you weren’t feeling well.” He’s known Daehyun long enough to know when Daehyun is lying, and Daehyun dreads Himchan finding out right now, not when Daehyun doesn’t even know what’s going on. “Are you alright?”

Daehyun shrugs. “I mean… I could be better, but I’ll be fine by tomorrow. I think I just had a bad day.”

Himchan takes step toward Daehyun, placing a hand on his shoulder, heavy and warm, and it reminds Daehyun of Yongguk. It reminds him that he needs to tell Hoseok about this. “You sure you don’t want to talk about it?”

“I’m sure, hyung. Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you,” Daehyun says. He waves to Himchan before heading off to his study. 

Before long, Daehyun sits at his desk, staring at the hologram blink as he waits for Hoseok to pick up. He can’t seem to get the knot out of his stomach in those silent moments.

The hologram flickers and pixelates to form Hoseok, smiling. “Hey, hyung, what’s up?”

“I need you to look at something for me,” Daehyun says. He doesn’t want to waste any more time.

Hoseok tilts his head. “Sure? What is it?”

“I’m sending you the picture,” Daehyun replies, his phone already out. “I can’t read the language on the front.”

“We have access to thousands of languages. You couldn’t find it in our database?” Hoseok’s phone chirps and he looks at the message, his mocking grin slipping as his eyebrows furrow. He cocks his head, a quick tilt of his head as he examines the picture. “Oh. Yeah, okay, I don’t know this language off the top of my head.”

“Exactly,” Daehyun says. 

Hoseok squints his eyes and brings his phone closer to his face. “It looks ancient, though. What is this thing anyway? Did you… Was this picture taken under a bed?”

Daehyun shakes his head. “That’s not the important part.”

“Hyung, seriously, what is this thing?” Hoseok looks at Daehyun, his expression stern. 

“Keep this between us, alright?” Daehyun lowers his voice, and Hoseok’s eyes widen as he finally begins to realize the gravity of the situation. “I think it’s a radio frequency jammer.”

Hoseok’s eyebrows furrow. “Why would–– To send messages undetected through the barrier.” His eyes go wide again and he leans forward. “Hyung, where did you find that? How did it get onto the estate? What the _hell_ is going on over there?”

“I’ll take care of it. You focus on Febrion 5, alright? You can’t tell anyone about this. If something happens between us and the Yoo’s right now, this alliance is over.” Daehyun stares Hoseok down.

“Hyung––“

“ _Don’t_ ,” Daehyun interrupts. 

Hoseok looks at the picture again before meeting Daehyun’s eye. “It’s Tellus 2 tech, isn’t it? We don’t manufacture anything like this back home.” Hoseok takes a deep breath. “Hyung. I told you to be careful.”

“And I _am_ ,” Daehyun shoots back. “You know this is ultimately our father’s decision. He’d die before giving this alliance up.”

Hoseok sighs. “You’re right. I can help you convince him. I’ll take the next shuttle home––“

“Hoseok, you can’t just _leave_ Febrion 5 when you know our diplomatic relations with them are too fragile to be left alone right now,” Daehyun says. He hates lying to Hoseok, but it’s a necessary evil. He doesn’t think he can tell Hoseok the whole truth yet.

Hoseok begins to say something, but he quickly snaps his mouth shut with an audible click that even Daehyun hears. “Alright, but I’m coming back as soon as I’m done.”

“Wouldn’t want it any other way.” Daehyun gives Hoseok a small smile. “I’ll talk to you later, Hoseok. Thanks.”

“Bye, hyung,” Hoseok says, and the hologram disappears into a cloud of pixels.

Daehyun leans back in his chair with a groan. Whatever Yongguk has planned, it doesn’t sit well with him. He pushes away from his desk and walks down the hall to the elevator. He rocks back and forth on his feet as he waits.

“Are you feeling alright?”

Daehyun nearly jumps out of his skin. Yongguk stands next to him, head tilted. “What?”

“You said you were feeling sick earlier. Youngjae’s worried,” Yongguk replies, and Daehyun sees the _And so am I_ in Yongguk’s eyes. 

“I think… I just had an off day.” Daehyun gives Yongguk his best reassuring smile. “I’ll be better by tomorrow.”

The elevator dings and the doors slide open. Daehyun and Yongguk walk in. The doors close, and they’re engulfed in silence. What he needs right now is a distraction.

Daehyun turns to Yongguk, inching closer until Yongguk’s back is to the wall. Daehyun places his hands on the cold railing on either side of Yongguk’s hips. He looks into Yongguk’s eyes, and something ignites in him, threatening to consume him whole. 

“Commander,” Daehyun says, his voice low. Is this a good choice? Definitely not his best. Is he doing this because it’s convenient at the moment? Absolutely.

Yongguk’s hands come up to cup Daehyun’s face and he leans down to close the remaining space between them. Daehyun pushes up against Yongguk, wanting something rougher. He wants to forget everything from today, if only for a moment. Yongguk groans, grabbing onto Daehyun’s hips to spin them around, and Daehyun gasps as the railing digs into his lower back. In a moment, Yongguk has his mouth on Daehyun’s neck, his hand pulling on the collar of Daehyun’s shirt to bite into the skin of his shoulder. Daehyun chokes back a surprised yelp, his eyes squeezing shut, as his hands scrabble at Yongguk’s arms.

The elevator dings again.

Daehyun and Yongguk jump apart. Daehyun pulls his shirt back into place, and Yongguk smooths his hair back. There’s a tense moment of breathless panting silence as they wait for the doors to open. 

“I’ll see you later, commander,” Daehyun says as the doors slide open, a little embarrassed at how coarse his voice sounds. He clears his throat, nodding back at Yongguk.

And Daehyun realizes, walking down the hall towards his room, that no matter what Yongguk may have planned, it’ll be hell getting over how Yongguk’s hands feel on his bare skin, how Yongguk’s soft lips taste a little too foreign, how Yongguk’s voice trembles through his chest.

He realizes, closing his door behind him, that the fire burning throughout his entire body may never be fully put out.

He waits until it’s late enough to see Yongguk again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whenever i’m writing bap i’m always trying to work in their matoki colors do not test me. also wtf i didn’t even realize a month had passed since i last updated jesus. sorry i’ve been busy with classes and other shit (((i say as i post another chaptered fic lol oops)))


	7. Chapter 7

Daehyun lays awake in Yongguk’s bed several weeks after that, carding his fingers through Yongguk’s soft hair. Yongguk hasn’t turned the box––the electrical jammer, whatever it is––back on. Daehyun knows because the room feels like every other corner of the estate. He hates to admit it, but he had grown used to the absence of the electrical buzz, almost fond of the way the quiet created a bubble around Yongguk’s room. Daehyun also knows that Yongguk wouldn’t have that thing without reason. He just needs to figure it out.

“What are you thinking so hard about?” Yongguk asks, turning onto his back. He reaches up to smooth out the furrow between Daehyun’s eyebrows.

Daehyun holds his hand above Yongguk’s head as he settles into a new position. “Just… The wedding. And the alliance.”

Yongguk hums, his own hand coming down to interlock with Daehyun’s, the pad of his thumb rubbing small circles. “That’s right… It’s coming up soon, isn’t it?”

“Yeah…” Daehyun’s heart jumps into his throat because Yongguk looks so soft. If they were born under different circumstances, maybe this––what they have, what they’re doing––could have worked out a little better. Daehyun wouldn’t feel so guilty tending to a fire that should have been put out long ago. That’s rapidly growing out of control. “Maybe we should stop this.”

Yongguk opens his eyes, slow and unreadable. Suddenly, Daehyun is staring into unrecognizable obsidian again, and it scares him. It scares him because he doesn’t know what Yongguk might say. He’s afraid because he doesn’t really want this to end, and he doesn’t know if Yongguk feels the same.

“Are you sure?” Yongguk asks. He sits up and faces Daehyun, crossing his legs and taking hold of Daehyun’s hands. “Do you intend to end this completely?”

Daehyun avoids Yongguk’s eyes, looking down at their hands instead. “What choice do I have? Do _we_ have? I can’t choose both you and the alliance.”

“Do you know what the alliance is for?” Yongguk asks, his eyes boring deep holes into Daehyun. “What it’s _really_ for?”

It bothers Daehyun how he can’t read what’s in Yongguk’s eyes right now.

“Interplanetary and star exploration.” The look in Yongguk’s eyes don’t change, and Daehyun leans back, his confusion making him scared. “Right?”

“Yes, but do you know the _implications_ behind that?” Yongguk asks.

Daehyun knows what Yongguk is saying, but he doesn’t want to admit it. He doesn’t want to admit what his home was built on. Maybe that’s where his problems lie.

“It’s not right. The exploration they keep talking about is exploitation of native resources. It’s all Jaesuk talked about leading up to the formation of the alliance. It’s an ancient concept that should have died out with the Earth,” Yongguk says. “And I’m sorry you were born into a place of so much privilege that you can’t see that. Don’t say you don’t have a choice when you _do_.”

A lump forms in Daehyun’s throat, a pit in the bottom of his stomach. He presses his forehead into the juncture between Yongguk’s shoulder and neck, realizing that this might be first time Yongguk is expressing his honest thoughts. Daehyun has always known the history of how his family took over the planet, but he never wanted to acknowledge it. Never wanted to face the truth behind his family’s ascent as the leaders of this planet. Maybe he can take this chance to change it all.

But when Yongguk says it so boldly, who is Daehyun to deny such a violent truth?

“I’m sorry. But if I want to change that––“ Daehyun looks up into Yongguk’s eyes, and maybe something like determination begins to course through him. “––I can’t keep running away. I _have_ to do this for my people, if not to amend the wrongs in my history. Maybe with Youngjae… We can try to do something about it.”

Yongguk’s hands tighten around Daehyun’s, and Daehyun doesn’t know if he should find them comforting, but they’re warm and he doesn’t want to let go. Not yet. “I hope you’re right.”

“I can’t keep putting both you and the alliance at risk,” Daehyun says, leaning forward into Yongguk. He presses his forehead into the space between Yongguk’s shoulder and neck again, breathing in Yongguk’s scent. “But… Is it bad that I don’t want to leave either?”

Yongguk brings his arms up around Daehyun’s waist, pulling him closer. “You don’t have to think about that right now.”

//

“My father told me that the fog is invading the capitol,” Youngjae says to Daehyun over breakfast. He picks at his food, pushing it around his plate with his fork. “The nation is in a state of emergency.”

Daehyun reaches over the table to hold Youngjae’s hand, his thumb rubbing small circles on the back of Youngjae’s hand like what Yongguk has done for him so many times before. He doesn’t know what to say in response, so he figures maybe he shouldn’t.

Youngjae stares at his hand in Daehyun’s, not even looking up at Daehyun himself when he speaks again. “They’re not even halfway through commercializing the enzyme. I don’t think my sister is going to move from her lab until she makes significant progress.”

The fog was inevitable. They all knew this. Daehyun squeezes Youngjae’s hand. 

“My father just ordered the evacuation of the capitol last night. Why didn’t he do anything earlier?” Youngjae asks. The resent is clear in his voice. “What was he thinking?”

What _was_ Jaesuk thinking? Daehyun sees the conflict in Youngjae’s eyes, caught between wanting to speak against his father and having to respect his father’s decision.

“Do you have any way to combat against it?” Daehyun eventually asks.

“Against nature? Are you serious?” Youngjae lets out a single laugh, dry and humorless. He removes his hand from Daehyun’s to run it through his hair, still a little damp from his shower. “After the Earth’s near collapse, we tried not to interfere with Tellus 2’s ecosystem too much. Look where that got us. My people are going to be killed by acid fog. Maybe we _were_ stupid to settle on a planet like that.”

“Don’t… Don’t say that. That sort of tenacity is what got your ancestors off Earth, isn’t it?” Daehyun asks. He brings his own back, almost missing the warmth from Youngjae’s hand. “Have some faith in your people.”

Youngjae sighs, looking down at his food.

Daehyun glances up at Yongguk, whose face is carefully stoic, but Daehyun feels like he knows Yongguk well enough to see the tumultuous current raging beneath that calm surface.

“Anyway, I’m useless just moping about something happening literally galaxies away.” Youngjae looks up at Daehyun and smiles, a little forced, but he’s trying. “Let’s go walk around the city.”

Daehyun smiles back, his foot meeting with Youngjae’s beneath the table. “Sure.”

//

Daehyun and Youngjae decide to take a day off from wedding planning to explore the city. They walk the streets of downtown, holding hands and greeting the people they pass by with smiles on their faces. Daehyun can still see the underlying stress beneath Youngjae’s smiles, and he hates how useless he feels because he doesn’t know how to help.

“He loves a good library,” Yongguk whispers to Daehyun as Youngjae is looking through a street stall’s products. 

“Brilliant,” Daehyun whispers back as he gives Yongguk a thumbs-up. He goes to stand beside Youngjae, nudging his arm with his elbow. “Wanna go somewhere cool?”

Youngjae looks at Daehyun, blinking once. “Define ‘cool’.”

“I have a feeling you’ll like it,” Daehyun replies, grabbing hold of Youngjae’s hand. “That is, if you’re done looking here.”

Youngjae shrugs. “We can go.”

The largest library in the nation is located several streets from them and spans several city blocks. Daehyun is a little disappointed that he didn’t think to take Youngjae here earlier. Daehyun sees the glass tower and grins. It isn’t the tallest building by any means, but the blossoming glass lotus flower beside it makes it the most noticeable one in the entire downtown area. Daehyun used to come here often a child before he was burdened by the full brunt of his responsibilities.

“What…is that?” Youngjae asks, and Daehyun’s grin widens at the awe he hears in Youngjae’s voice.

“The national library.”

They begin climbing up the steps, and Youngjae just stops. Daehyun looks back to see Youngjae with stars in his eyes. 

“This is a library?” Youngjae asks, quiet as he finally begins to realize exactly where he is. “A _library?”_

“Yeah, I… I _did_ say that, right?” Daehyun glances at Yongguk for confirmation, and he nods. “Right. Okay. Youngjae? You okay?”

Youngjae blinks and he takes his tablet out of his pocket, snapping pictures as soon as he has it unlocked. “Oh _fuck_ , this place is beautiful. The way the glass just captures the light? Even the _steps_ are so nice.” He quickly pockets his tablet and grabs onto Daehyun’s hand, tugging him to the entrance. “Let’s go inside!”

Daehyun glances back at Yongguk, who’s smiling and giving him a thumbs-up.

Youngjae reacts to the library with a sort of unbridled excitement that Daehyun isn’t sure he’s seen on Youngjae before. It’s a little refreshing. They walk onto the dark marble tile beneath a gigantic bright skylight that illuminates the entire library, each floor opening up in the middle. A steady stream of chatter flows from the floors above them, but the top floors of the library are closed off with sound-isolating walls. People flow in and out through the doors, but give Daehyun and Youngjae some more space. Some stare at them as they walk past, but Daehyun smiles and waves. Youngjae lets go of Daehyun’s hand, eyes wide and hands to his chest.

“I’m… I don’t know what to say,” Youngjae whispers, walking beneath the circle of light spilling onto the middle of the main floor. He turns back to look at Daehyun, and maybe Daehyun’s breath hitches at the near ethereal glow surrounding him. “Daehyun, how come we never came here earlier?”

Daehyun blinks and gulps as he gathers himself. “Sorry… It… It just never occurred to me.”

“I’ll forgive you. Just this once since this place is too beautiful not to.” Youngjae makes his way to the staircase curving against the wall to the second floor.

Nearly an hour later, Youngjae sits at one of the many tables with an old and yellowed book in his hands. He carefully flips through each fragile page with the care of a trained professional. Yongguk looks through a nearby shelf, still within reach of them without being overbearingly close. Daehyun sits beside Youngjae, peering over his arm to look at the book.

“What are you reading?” Daehyun asks.

Youngjae closes the book for a moment, his finger holding his place. “ _Studies of the Draconis Bituin_. I had no idea tuins were so…adaptable. They can make the smallest physiological changes in response to anything within their environment as quickly as five generations.”

Daehyun hums as Youngjae looks back down in the book then stands back up again. “I’m gonna look around. Text me if you need anything.”

“Alright,” Youngjae says.

Daehyun waves to Yongguk, who nods back in response. He loves the smell of the old books as he passes through the bookshelves. In an age where everything is digital and contained within the storage of his phone, he likes the feeling of flipping of through the pages of a book. They take up a ton of space, though. That’s why he loves going to the library. He gets the satisfaction of holding a physical book in his hands without the commitment of having to house so many of them. 

But Daehyun currently has something else on his mind. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and stares at the picture of the electrical jammer. Maybe he’ll be able to find something about it in here. He just…has to look through the enormous database. This shouldn’t take too long. He searches for a section dedicated to Tellus 2, thinking that if anyone sees him, he can say that he’s studying Tellusian culture.

“ _Ancient Languages of Tellus 2_ ,” Daehyun whispers, pulling the old book off the shelf. He flips through it, searching for anything that looks vaguely like the language on the jammer. “Please be in here.”

Daehyun looks through each listed language, comparing it to the jammer, and finally finds something near the end of the book. It’s an old version of Hangul, dating back to Tellus 2’s earliest recorded cycles. He blinks, reading through the description. The language on the jammer is the original Hangul that the first settlers brought from Earth.

What’s Yongguk doing with a jammer that has original Hangul?

Daehyun snaps a couple pictures of the alphabet and characters before returning the book on the shelf. He’ll translate later. Youngjae and Yongguk are probably looking for him. As he begins making his way back to Youngjae and Yongguk, he hears the television on the bottom floor playing a news channel. He looks over the railing to see the giant monitor behind the front desk as a young woman sits across from the news anchor, waving her hands passionately as she talks. A small crowd has gathered around the television, their conversations a jumbled, incoherent babble by the time they reach Daehyun.

“It’s ridiculous for the Jungs to form an alliance with Tellus 2. More importantly, the alliance itself is simply imperialism rebranded if you just read between the lines. We’re a nation with connections to a number of other planets within and outside this solar system. Tellus 2 has a strong military background, and what for if it was such an isolationist nation? This _interplanetary and space exploration_ alliance is another way of taking over and occupying planets that have no other way to defend themselves.” She turns to the camera with her next sentence. “Don’t get me wrong. This nation has a history as gruesome as Tellus 2’s, but Yoo Jaesuk needs to return to his poison planet instead of infecting us.”

The news anchor pales the longer she lets the guest talk. She glances offscreen like someone is trying to tell her to stop, but the guest doesn’t let the anchor get a single word in. 

“We need to work to fix ourselves first before claiming ‘space exploration’. If the heir is anything like his father, this nation is going to run itself into––“

The woman behind the front desk changes the channel to a gossip and entertainment news outlet that instead gushes about Daehyun and Youngjae walking around downtown running errands for the wedding. The crowd begins to disperse.

Daehyun still has to pick his sunken stomach up from the floor. He fights the urge to throw up. He grips the edge of the railing, his arms trembling from the strain and his knuckles turning ghostly white. He’s used to the occasional jab at his character, but he can only imagine how Youngjae is feeling right now. Youngjae _had_ to have heard that.

Daehyun pushes away from the railing, swaying a little as his head spins, but he manages to regain his balance. He has to get back to Youngjae _now_. He turns the corner of a bookshelf and sees Youngjae still at the same table. Yongguk sits beside him with a book of his own, but he isn’t reading it. Instead, he has a hand on Youngjae’s shoulder, whispering something to him. Yongguk looks up into Daehyun’s eyes, and Daehyun doesn’t think he’s seen a look so helpless on Yongguk’s face.

“Hey,” Daehyun says, placing a hand on the back of Youngjae’s chair.

Youngjae jumps up, and Daehyun sees the tears threatening to pool up in Youngjae’s glassy eyes. “Oh. Hey.”

“I…” Daehyun pauses, not knowing what to say. He searches Youngjae’s face, and as skilled as Youngjae is at hiding how hurt he is, his carefully constructed mask is still nothing more than a mask he doesn’t have time to slip on when Daehyun catches him off guard. “Do you want to go?”

“Oh, are you ready?” Youngjae asks, smiling at Daehyun. He closes the book and returns it on the shelf. He faces Daehyun, and Daehyun hates how fake that smile looks.

//

That evening, Daehyun finds Youngjae in the garden sitting at a bench by the statue of a tuin. It’s not true to size by any means, but it still towers above the estate walls, watching over the city. Daehyun sits beside Youngjae pulling his jacket tighter around himself and crossing his arms above his chest. Youngjae doesn’t say anything, just wipes his eyes with the heel of his palm.

“I’m here to apologize,” Daehyun says, sitting next to Youngjae. He brings his arm around Youngjae’s shoulders, pulling him closer so his head cradles just inside the crook of his shoulder.

“Why?” Youngjae asks, and Daehyun’s heart twinges with regret at the hurt he hears in Youngjae’s voice, trying so hard to stay hidden. “What are you even apologizing for?”

Daehyun sighs, rubbing Youngjae’s shoulder with his thumb. He feels guilty for letting that drag on as long as he did. “On behalf of my people.”

Daehyun feels Youngjae shrug. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not,” Daehyun replies. The sun can be seen in between the buildings, sinking lower and lower towards the horizon as the twin moons on the other side begin their ascent. “They should–– No, that’s no excuse. I shouldn’t have let that go on for so long. You should be welcomed, not just by my family, but by the nation.”

Youngjae wipes his eyes again. “There will always be people who oppose you, no matter what you say or do. There’s no changing that. It’s not your fault.”

Daehyun sighs. “But _still_ ––“

“Daehyun. Really, it’s okay. I shouldn’t have let it affect me that much, but––“ He lets out a huff of breath that’s something between a self-deprecating laugh and maybe frustration. “––look where we are now.”

“Still,” Daehyun says again, a little softer. “You know, a long time ago, there was a tuin with a light that couldn’t be picked up by other tuins. No one knows how she survived so long without a pack, but she wandered throughout space for her entire lifetime.”

“That’s so sad. What are you getting at?” Youngjae asks.

“Just hold on,” Daehyun says with a small smile. “Then, a ship found her, full of curious scientists who had found her strange and lonely light, and wanted to help her. She was delighted because she’d finally been recognized by _something_ , but these scientists were running out of fuel. They traveled too far from their home and the closest solar system was too far for them to reach. She took pity on her newfound family, and gave up her body to form what later became this planet, and a pear tree sprouted from her decaying body.” Daehyun stops for a moment to think. “It’s funny, though, because our soil isn’t suitable for Earth-originated pears, so we’re stuck with lab duplicates.”

Youngjae raises an eyebrow as he looks at Daehyun. “Are you telling me you’re sacrificing yourself so I can find a port in a storm?”

“Not exactly…” Daehyun nudges Youngjae. “I’m just saying… You’re not alone because I’m here for you if you need it. I know you don’t like to appear weak to people, but you can around me.”

The sun always sets a little to the left of the estate. Always on the front, bathing the grounds in a golden, rosy glow. The tuin statue behind them casts a shadow over the estate’s massive front lawn, almost like a guardian slithering through the earth. And Daehyun wonders how he’s missed this simple beauty his entire life.

And he sees Youngjae.

How has he missed Youngjae’s quiet gentleness this whole time? How has he missed the golden flecks that shimmer in Youngjae’s eyes? How has he missed the way Youngjae _unapologetically_ seeks every source of knowledge within the known universe with no regard for himself, not even stopping to breathe? 

Youngjae leans forward, his eyes flickering uncertainly between Daehyun’s lips and his eyes. And Daehyun knows what’s coming next. And Daehyun doesn’t stop it when it does.

Kissing Youngjae is not like kissing Yongguk. There is no collision or electric spark that leads to an explosion, but it is a quiet moment, the slow burn of a bigger promise, and Daehyun realizes the weight of his responsibility. Of his name. Of his actions. Of his position. And he realizes that maybe with Youngjae––here beside him, his warmth and lips against his––he feels like he can shoulder the universe if he can do it with Youngjae.

Daehyun doesn’t stop it because what if he wants to give Youngjae more than what the universe has to offer? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this has always been a critique on colonialism, just……buried under all the angsty forbidden love oops


	8. Chapter 8

Daehyun pulls back first, not realizing that his eyes had slipped closed, and when he does, he finds Youngjae blinking his own eyes open. The moment couldn’t have lasted more than a couple seconds, but it feels like hours when Youngjae seems to finally realize what had happened and leans back, eyes owlishly wide. And Daehyun would’ve laughed if not for the scandalized horror on Youngjae’s face.

“I’m… I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean… Oh _no_ , I fucked it all up. I’m _so sorry_ ,” Youngjae begins to ramble on, his voice shaking and stuttering as he chokes out more apologies. His face is growing redder by the second.

Daehyun holds out his hands towards Youngjae, trying to calm him. “Hey, wait, Youngjae––“

Youngjae shakes his head. “No, I shouldn’t have done that. What I did was highly unprofessional, and I shouldn’t have crossed that line.” He begins to stand up, taking a deep breath, and bows at the waist to Daehyun. “I’m incredibly sorry.”

Daehyun notices Youngjae’s trembling hands balled into fists at his sides. He takes Youngjae’s hand, tugging until Youngjae eventually looks up, letting Daehyun bring his hand forward. Daehyun rubs small circles with his thumb like Yongguk has done so many times before.

“Don’t be sorry,” Daehyun says, looking up at Youngjae with a smile. He’s a little awestruck at how ethereal Youngjae looks, silhouetted by the setting sun behind him. 

“Wait… You’re not mad?” Youngjae asks, genuine confusion lining his features.

“Am I…” Daehyun blinks, then smiles, and takes Youngjae’s other hand, pulling him a little closer. “I’m not _mad_. If I was mad, I wouldn’t be here still, would I? Youngjae, this alliance is our _marriage_. I don’t mind that you kissed me.”

Youngjae narrows his eyes, but he doesn’t move away. He holds Daehyun’s hands in his, unmoving. “You’re sure.”

Daehyun sees himself in Youngjae’s eyes, both literally and figuratively. He sees the uncertainty there, and he sees the punishments he had to endure because his father thought expressing emotion was a vulnerability, thus reprimanded until no longer present. Daehyun sees Youngjae constantly putting on mask after mask until he’s no longer recognizable.

Daehyun has a feeling Youngjae is _still_ wearing a mask.

“We’re not our fathers, despite them trying so hard to mold us in their image,” Daehyun says. He begins pulling Youngjae back to the bench. “Besides, I feel like we’re a little past being professional, don’t you think?”

Youngjae sits back down on the bench with a huff. “God, we’re so depressing, don’t you think? We should’ve been born anything but this.”

Daehyun watches the sun sink further behind the horizon. “Yeah, maybe we should’ve.”

Youngjae draws in a deep breath and turns to Daehyun. “Thank you.”

“You’re not alone, okay? A marriage is still a marriage, and we’re in this together,” Daehyun says, shifting so he can wrap an arm around Youngjae’s shoulders. 

//

Daehyun sinks into his chair in his study, running his hands down his face as he sighs. He doesn’t know what he’s going to do. Between Yongguk’s now highly suspicious activity and the comments about their alliance, Daehyun is stuck. Not to mention the wedding looming closer with each passing day.

Daehyun takes another deep breath and lets it all out in a rush as he stretches his arms above his head. “One thing at a time, Daehyun. One thing at a time. Let’s see…”

Daehyun pulls his phone out of his pocket, examining the photo of the jammer, then the photo of the original Hangul, going back and forth between the two. He transfers both photos onto his computer, the screen popping up in a cloud of pixels. Both photos appear side by side, and Daehyun begins translating the words on the jammer. It’s tedious work trying to recognize the letters and forming syllables that turn into words. He brings up another window and searches anything on original Hangul, hoping to translate what the words mean. It takes him a couple minutes, but he eventually pieces together what the words say.

_Government Radar Jammer Issued Cycle Forty-Three._

Daehyun leans back in his chair, trying to let his mind wrap around the fact that Yongguk is in possession of tech dating back _thousands_ of cycles ago. How did Yongguk get a hold of this? How does it even still work? Tech this ancient _should_ have been detected by _something_ on the estate, and yet… It sits under Yongguk’s bed, keeping him in a secure bubble.

Unless––

Daehyun jumps up, suddenly pacing the length of his study as his mind begins working at a thousand miles a minute. He begins talking aloud just to put some coherence to it. “Unless it’s so old, our towers couldn’t detect anything _at all_. Since it’s so old, it should be operating on a different frequency than anything our towers work on, and because of its size––“ He stops, staring out the window at the faintly blinking lights of the towers in the distance, then the photo of the jammer. “––it’s undetectable.”

Daehyun leans back in his chair, running his hands through his hair. Yongguk is using it to get calls through undetected, but what the hell would he need to hide? What is he planning? Are Youngjae and Jaesuk in on this plan, too? Daehyun stares at the photos. He thinks back to what Yongguk was saying earlier.

_“The exploration they keep talking about is exploitation of native resources.”_

Unless that itself is a cover for Tellus 2 to overtake Daehyun’s own nation. His heart sinks at the thought.

A message pops up on Daehyun’s screen, the familiar chime playing through the speakers. He looks at the notification. It’s a summoning from his father. He sighs, composing himself before leaving his study. His footsteps echo against the high ceilings, but the hallway is silent otherwise. Servants bow in greeting as they pass by him, and he nods back, trying to keep himself composed. He can’t help the way his stomach flips at Jaesuk turning the alliance against him. Before he knows it, he stands before his father’s own study. He knocks on the door.

“Come in.”

Daehyun slips inside, sliding the door closed. “You wanted to see me, father?”

“Yes. Did you see that interview earlier?” his father asks, closing his laptop before turning his full attention to Daehyun. “Where that woman spoke against the alliance.”

Daehyun nods. “Partly. I was in the library with Youngjae and Yongguk.”

His father hums, leaning back into his chair. “It won’t be long before you have to take over after me. It’s important that you know this alliance is our way to reach the uninhabited planets in the further reaches of this galaxy. No matter what anyone says, it’s our nations’ job to aid those planets towards civilization. Jaesuk and I are getting too old for deep space travel. it’s up to you and Youngjae to do that.”

Daehyun gulps. Yongguk’s words echo in his head. He knows better than to speak against his father, but he also knows that the idea is inherently _wrong_. “Of course, father.”

“Good man,” his father says. He pauses for a moment, as if trying to find something else to say. “How are the wedding preparations going?”

“They’re going well,” Daehyun replies, but he tilts his head. Last he heard, the acid fog was invading the cities. “But I thought the ceremony was postponed until…”

Daehyun’s father shakes his head. “Jaseuk told me that he should have the problem under control by the time the next cycle comes around. He should have told Youngjae by now.”

Daehyun blinks. “Do you know if the citizens have evacuated? Where will they stay? Will we be taking them in?”

“Realistically, we can’t possibly take in another nation entirely,” Daehyun’s father says, scratching his head. “I’ve come up with a plan with Jaesuk to only let in those who can contribute to our society. That way, they’ll be able to assimilate themselves more easily.”

Daehyun thinks back to what Hoseok said before from what feels like ages ago. 

_“They’re using the alliance to scout out some planets so they can move.”_

Has this been their plan all along?

“Father, what do you mean…’contribute to our society’?” Daehyun asks. 

His father scoffs, staring at Daehyun like he should know _exactly_ what that means and implies. “Those who can afford to move here, Daehyun. How else are we going to weed them out? We already have a growing homeless problem here, and I’m not looking to contribute to it.”

Daehyun gulps. When he puts it like that… But how can he go against his father? He isn’t the one running the nation. Not yet, at least. “So… The rest of the Tellusians will be left behind?”

His father shrugs. “Unless Jaesuk can think of a feasible way to ship his entire nation out to the rest of the galaxy before the fog gets to them, they don’t have another solution.”

Something disgusting twists in the pit of Daehyun’s stomach, sour and acidic, threatening to slither up and out of his throat. “I see.”

“If that’s all, you can go. Good night, Daehyun.”

“Good night, father.”

Daehyun bows his head before turning on his heel out of his father’s study. It’s…wrong to leave behind the Tellusians like that, but there’s no denying the situation his father faces. To take in another nation would mean overcrowding the cities, limiting their resources, upping their national spending to accommodate such a sudden influx of people. Financially, it would mean disaster to move everyone to one place. Ethically, it would be wrong to leave _anyone_.

It’s easy to look at statistics and numbers on a computer screen, but these are real lives they’re dealing with. This is actual people with lives that will be destroyed during the move.

Daehyun blinks, and he looks up to find himself standing before Yongguk’s room. He knocks on the door, glancing back and forth down the corridor for anyone, but it’s empty. Thankfully. Yongguk opens the door, dressed in his uniform pants and a tank top.

“Sir? Can I help you with anything?” Yongguk asks. He furrows his eyebrows, poking his head outside to look down the hall like Daehyun did just seconds before, but he must see something in Daehyun’s eyes because he steps aside shortly after. “Come in.”

Daehyun strides into the bedroom, spinning on his heels and crowding Yongguk against the door. The door slides shut with an audible _click_ into the frame. Yongguk is several centimeters taller than Daehyun, and Daehyun shivers at the feeling of Yongguk looking down at him, his eyes lidded and dark. Daehyun surges forward to close the last gap between them, pressing his lips against Yongguk’s, his hands coming up to Yongguk’s cheeks. He feels Yongguk wrap an arm around his waist, pulling him closer, Yongguk’s other hand coming up to tangle in the soft hair behind Daehyun’s neck.

Daehyun pulls back, his eyes flitting around Yongguk’s sharp features, and he realizes that Yongguk is very carefully neutral. Daehyun takes pride in being able to read other people, but he can’t read Yongguk quite as easily. He’s near impossible because he’s like a placid lake, reflecting only what Daehyun wants to see. 

And Daehyun doesn’t know what he wants to see right now.

“I want you to kiss me,” Daehyun whispers regardless, his thumb stroking the soft skin along Yongguk’s cheekbone. “Please.”

Yongguk flips them, leaning down to press his lips against Daehyun’s again. It’s nothing like the one he had with Youngjae. Where Youngjae is careful trepidation and hopeful promises of tomorrow, Yongguk is flowing magma that threatens to burn everything in its path, concerned only with the moment they find themselves in _now_. He eases Daehyun’s mouth open, his thumb rubbing slow circles on Daehyun’s hip while his other braces him up against the door. Daehyun tugs Yongguk’s tank top tucked into his pants, letting his hands wander over Yongguk’s taut muscle beneath the hem. 

They break apart so Daehyun can pull Yongguk’s tank top up above his head before Daehyun is kneeling down, his hands trailing slowly down Yongguk’s sides. He shivers under Daehyun’s light touch, his breath hitching as his gaze follows Daehyun down. Daehyun works on undoing Yongguk’s belt, his fingers trembling under Yongguk’s gaze.

“Sir–– Daehyun–– What––“ Yongguk gulps down the rest of his sentence as Daehyun tugs Yongguk’s pants down. He palms Yongguk’s clothed cock in his hand, his eyes moving up to look at Yongguk. His eyes are closed, his chest moving as he draws in even breaths. 

Daehyun’s eyes follow the way Yongguk’s throat bobs up and down as he swallows.

“May I?” Daehyun asks, his hands hovering just above the waistband of Yongguk’s briefs, his eyes searching for the slightest change in Yongguk’s features.

Yongguk’s eyes fly open, and the look of intense desire sends shivers down Daehyun’s spine. He nods, his breaths coming out shallow. Daehyun dips his hand beneath the hem, holding Yongguk’s gaze.

Daehyun lays beside Yongguk afterwards, his arm beneath Yongguk’s head, his hand playing with the soft strands of hair behind Yongguk’s neck.

“My father proposed taking in the citizens of Tellus 2 because the fog is getting out of hand,” Daehyun suddenly says, his voice rough and loud in silence of the room.

Yongguk hums, looking up at Daehyun. “Is that supposed to be a bad thing? From your tone, it sounds like it might be.”

Daehyun nods with a sigh. “He told me he’s only taking in those who, in his words, ‘can afford it’.”

Yongguk sits up, leveling Daehyun with a gaze as cold as steel, but Daehyun recognizes that familiar anger and ferocity coming back in full force. “I thought I felt something wrong when you came here.”

“Do I really come here when there’s something wrong?” Daehyun asks. He looks at the space above Yongguk’s head, unable to keep contact with him for much longer.

Yongguk smiles at Daehyun, brushing away the fringe that had fallen over Daehyun’s eyes. “More often than not, yes, but that’s not a complaint.”

Daehyun closes his eyes, taking a deep breath as Yongguk’s fingers brush against his cheek, almost lovingly.

“So, is that how they plan to solve the problem?” Yongguk asks, pulling his hand back, and Daehyun opens his eyes to look at him again.

“Yeah. I doubt there’s much Youngjae or I could do at this point,” Daehyun replies. He takes a hold of Yongguk’s hand, intertwining their fingers together. “There’s no room for negotiation when my father has come to a decision. Imagine the power he holds with _Jaesuk’s_ support too.”

Yongguk lays back down beside Daehyun, silent the entire time. He rubs small circles on Daehyun’s hand with his thumb, almost comforting. It’s moments like this where Daehyun wants time to stop, if only to stay with Yongguk for just a moment more.

Where he can forget everything outside their little bubble.

But the world still spins whether Daehyun wants to or not.

“I should go,” Daehyun says, sitting up. He lets go of Yongguk’s hand, already missing the warmth of it in his. He begins gathering his clothes scattered all over the room, slowly getting dressed so he can bathe in the warmth and scent of Yongguk’s room for just a moment longer. As he finishes buttoning up his shirt, he turns to Yongguk, who still lays on the bed, his arm splayed over his eyes. “Thank you for this, Yongguk.”

Yongguk hums, lifting his arm and taking a hold of Daehyun’s hand. He tilts his head, looking down at their hands. Yongguk isn’t usually this clingy. He tugs Daehyun down, and Daehyun falls forward, his free hand landing into the soft pillow beside Yongguk’s head and his knee falling into the silken sheets. 

“Good night,” Yongguk whispers before arching up to catch Daehyun’s lips in his.

Daehyun pulls away, and his breath hitches at the small smile on Yongguk’s lips. He blinks, swallowing the thick lump that’s formed in the back of his throat. “G-good night, commander.”

Yongguk lets go of Daehyun’s hand, and Daehyun pushes himself off the bed, ignoring the way Yongguk’s soft smile seems to have embedded itself into his head. 

Daehyun slips out of Yongguk’s room, sliding the door closed silently. He shivers as he walks down the cold corridor back to his own room, crossing his arms over his chest to save any last remnants of warmth in his body. The corridors are always quieter at night, the electric buzz of the barrier more noticeable at this time, so when he hears something, so faint he thought he’d imagined it, he almost walks right past the sound. He looks around the dim corridor, trying to locate the source of the sound. It almost sounds like…crying. He stops, looking out at one of the balconies to find Youngjae standing against the railing.

Daehyun stands at the balcony door, staring at Youngjae’s trembling form, unsure if he should go out or not. He pushes the door open.

Youngjae spins around, eyes wide, hand coming up to wipe away the tear stains from his cheeks. “Daehyun?”

“It’s surprisingly clear tonight,” Daehyun says, standing beside Youngjae. He looks up at the night sky. With all the city lights so close by, it’s usually difficult to see the stars, but he can make out a little more than usual tonight.

Daehyun sees Youngjae finish wiping his face in his peripheral. “Yeah. It’s nice.”

Without turning to Youngjae, Daehyun asks, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. I just wanted to, um, look at the stars tonight,” Youngjae replies, his words coming out faster than normal.

Daehyun looks at Youngjae, and he tries making the same face Himchan gives him when he knows there’s bullshit. “Youngjae, do you remember what I just told you this evening?”

Youngjae’s gaze flickers up to look at Daehyun, then back down. He sighs, running a hand through his hair. He turns to Daehyun, his eyebrows furrowed as he bites the inside of his cheek. “My father called me earlier. About the fog.”

Daehyun already knows where this is going. He pushes off the railing. “Let’s go inside first, and then you can talk to me about it. It’s a little cold, isn’t it?”

Youngjae nods, wiping the last of his tears on his sleeve. “I apologize for letting you see me like this.”

Daehyun shrugs, letting Youngjae walk inside first. “I think we’re well past formalities at this point, your highness.”

Youngjae laughs, soft and a little broken, and Daehyun feels his heart tug in pain. When Daehyun has the balcony door locked, he faces Youngjae with a smile.

“If you’ll follow me into the kitchen.”

A couple minutes later, Youngjae sits at the kitchen island, his cheek resting against his hand. He stares at Daehyun go through the fridge for something quick to make. 

“Are you allergic to anything?” Daehyun asks, ignoring the painful familiarity of it all. He looks over his shoulder at Youngjae. 

Youngjae shakes his head. “Not that I know of.”

Daehyun gives Youngjae a thumbs-up before going back to the fridge. He bites his bottom lip. There’s leftover soup in a container. He throws it into the microwave and sits stands across from Youngjae. 

“Is it about moving the citizens here?” Daehyun asks, his voice low.

Youngjae’s eyes widen, then he nods. “I assume your father told you about it, then?”

“Yeah. Accessible only to people who can afford it. Like the entitled assholes they are,” Daehyun mutters. He shakes his head. “Sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Youngjae smiles, but it’s pained and almost resigned. “It only looks good on paper. Everything else about it is fucked up.”

_Just like the alliance_ , Daehyun thinks. He stares at Youngjae, trying to think of the right thing to say. He can’t. By the time he can even do anything, he’d be too late for them. “It… It’s hard knowing we can’t do anything to change their decision.”

“Yeah.” Youngjae sighs, rubbing his hands over his face with a groan. “I don’t like it. I never liked the idea. It’s bullshit. But I get it. I’d hate to burden your nation with mine. It’s…” He sighs again.

“It’s a tough decision, I know,” Daehyun confirms with a nod. For one unsure second, he floats around in uncertainty, then takes a deep breath and takes one of Youngjae’s hands in his own. He pries it off of Youngjae’s face, taking it into his own hand, and squeezing. 

Youngjae stares at their joined hands, but he doesn’t do anything to move it away. Daehyun tries not to think about how this is the same hand that Yongguk grabbed a hold of earlier.

The microwave sounds, a loud and shrill beep that echoes in the kitchen. They both jump up, Daehyun lets out a small yelp as well. Youngjae pulls his hand away with a soft gasp, and they both stare at each other for a long moment trying to catch their breaths. Then, Youngjae erupts in a fit of laughter that has his entire body shaking. He curls in on himself as if trying to contain it.

“What?” Daehyun asks, unable to keep a creeping smile off his own face.

Youngjae covers his mouth, trying to compose himself again. He clears his throat to stop the giggling, but he still smiles. “I…don’t actually know. It’s just… I don’t _know_ , it’s late and you… Did you _hear_ yourself?”

Daehyun allows himself a small laugh as he opens the microwave. “Yeah, okay, that was pretty funny.”

Youngjae turns away as he disguises another laugh as a cough. Daehyun places the bowl of soup on the island in the space between them with two spoons.

“Well, dig in,” Daehyun says, holding up his own spoon. He begins eating, but he notices that Youngjae hasn’t even moved. He looks up and finds Youngjae looking at him. He tilts his head, licking his lips. “Youngjae? Is something wrong?”

Youngjae shakes his head. He smiles. “No. I just…wanted to say thank you. For doing this.”

Daehyun shrugs. “Anything for my husband-to-be.”

“Oh, you _spoil_ me, you minx,” Youngjae croons. He picks up his spoon, dipping it into the soup. As soon as the soup slides past his lips, he coughs, his face turning immediately red. “Oh–– Oh _wow_ , that’s spicy. What’s _in_ this?”

Daehyun thinks back to the first time he cooked for Yongguk, and almost feels bad. He laughs, grabbing a cup for water to give to Youngjae. “Oh… Sorry, I must not have thought about our differences in palates.”

Youngjae takes the cup gratefully, gulping it down. When he’s done, he looks like he’s on the verge of crying again. “Are _all_ your dishes like that?”

Daehyun shrugs, sipping the soup. “Our ancestors thought we could sweat the evil out of our bodies with _extreme_ spice.”

Youngjae eyes are wide as he watches Daehyun continue eating. “Holy _shit_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my GOD i’ve been sitting on my ass trying to figure out where this should go next i’m not even gonna hide it anymore i’m so sorry. but i watched the crown on netflix and let me tell you. that shit is just what i needed to push this SOMEWHERE. tbh it’s the last show i expected to even enjoy, but here we are
> 
> well anyway happy holidays (bc god knows imma take about half a year to trudge thru another update lmao rip)

**Author's Note:**

> come yell at me on my [tumblr](http://www.guernica-flow.tumblr.com)


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